The Rider on a White
Horse
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Let's take a moment to pray:
Lord,
Once again we thank You for granting us the great privilege of searching and understanding
the book of Revelation.
After studying the letters to the seven churches, we now wish to start on the subject of
the seven seals, beginning with the rider on a white horse.
Please guide us during these lessons, so that we may grasp the important message You want
to give us through the seven seals. In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 4:1
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing
open in heaven.
And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying,
«Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.»
As we saw in our last lesson, the apostle John, after having received the
letters to the seven churches, got a second set of seven messages concerning «things which must take place after this».
This new prophetic set is made up of seven seals.
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Revelation 5:5
Do not weep.
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the
scroll and to loose its seven seals.
We also saw that these seals have been placed on the scroll containing the
destiny of mankind. Now, the Bible clearly explains what that destiny is: «The wages of sin is death.» (Romans 6:23)
By His sacrifice on the cross, only Jesus can offer us another destiny, that is, eternal
life. This is why He is the only One able to open the seven seals.
Each seal describes a period of history between the first and second coming of Jesus.
At the opening of the seventh seal, Jesus will return, revealing at that time the eternal
destiny of each one of us, according to the choice we have made here on earth.
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Revelation 6:1
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I
heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder,
«Come and see.»
Jesus, the Lamb of God, now proceeds to open the first seal, which is the
subject of this lesson.
One of the four living creatures, presented in Revelation 4 and 5, witnesses the scene.
In fact, each one of these living creatures, which we will study in a future lesson, is
assigned to one of the first four seals.
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Revelation 6:2
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.
The entire content of the first seal is contained in this verse. At first
sight, it doesn't seem to give us much information.
But if we analyze all its symbolism in the light of the Bible, we will see how the first
seal perfectly applies to the historical period of the first letter, addressed to the
church of Ephesus, which corresponds to the years A.D. 31 to 100.
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Revelation 2:1-3
To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, «These
things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the
seven golden lampstands:
"I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are
evil.
And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them
liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and
have not become weary."»
The first letter, addressed to the church of Ephesus, describes the apostolic
period from the year 31 to 100, marked by the zeal of the Church and the purity of its
doctrine.
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Revelation 6:2
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 19:11
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.
And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and
makes war.
Does the first seal also describe the apostolic period, from A.D. 31 to 100?
First, if we compare these two verses, we can easily identify the rider on the white
horse, who is none other than Jesus Christ.
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Psalm 45:3-5
Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, with Your
glory and Your majesty.
And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; and
Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; the peoples fall under You.
The picture of the first seal, that is, the rider going out to fight and
conquer, is already presented in Psalm 45 as a prophecy about Jesus Christ.
But does this prophecy really concern Jesus? Let's read on...
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Psalm 45:6,7
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of
righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with
the oil of gladness.
Hebrews 1:8,9
But to the Son [God] says: «Your throne, O God, is
forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed
You with the oil of gladness.»
The victorious rider is indeed Jesus.
The Father Himself calls Him God.
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Revelation 6:4,5,8
And another horse, fiery red, went out. (...) And I
looked, and behold, a black horse (...). And I looked, and behold, a pale horse.
Zechariah 1:8
I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse,
and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red,
sorrel, and white.
Now, let's look at the horse.
The first four seals present four horses, each one having a different color. We can find a
similar symbolism in the book of Zechariah.
What do those four horses represent?
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Zechariah 1:9,10
Then I said, «My lord, what are these [horses]?»
So the angel who talked with me said to me, «I will show you what they are.»
And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, «These are the ones whom
the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.»
The horses, then, are sent by God to carry out His will on earth.
The color of the horse illustrates the conditions prevailing during the period which is
concerned.
So the white horse displays a period of purity, such as the purity of the Church's
doctrine described in the letter to Ephesus.
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The horse also symbolizes determination: God will carry out His will.
«Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his
neck with thunder? Can you frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror. He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
he gallops into the clash of arms. He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; nor does he
turn back from the sword.
The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and javelin. He devours the distance
with fierceness and rage; nor does he stand firm, because the trumpet has sounded.
At the blast of the trumpet he says, "Aha!" He smells the battle from afar, the
thunder of captains and shouting.» (JOB 39:19-25)
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As for white, it symbolizes purity, salvation in Jesus Christ:
«Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me,
and I shall be whiter than snow.» (PSALM 51:7)
«"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "though your sins
are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."» (ISAIAH 1:18)
«[They were] standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes
(...). "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from? (...)
These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb."» (REVELATION 7:9,13,14)
«He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name
from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His
angels.» (REVELATION 3:5)
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Revelation 6:2
And I looked, and behold, a white horse.
And he who sat on it had a bow.
Psalm 7:11-13
God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked
every day.
If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready.
He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
The bow, too, symbolizes God's determination to execute His judgments.
The rider on a white horse brings us the good news of salvation, but His bow reminds us
that rejection of this salvation leads to eternal death.
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Psalm 7:12,13
If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He
bends His bow and makes it ready.
He also prepares for Himself instruments of death.
2 Corinthians 2:15,16
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 death to death, and to the other the aroma of life to life.
Paul properly explains the symbolism of the bow: the rejection of salvation in
Jesus Christ leads to eternal death.
This is what Psalm 7 describes as God's bow, the «instruments of
death».
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The bow also symbolizes the work blessed and supported by God:
«Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well;
his branches run over the wall.
The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and hated him.
But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands
of the Mighty God of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), by the God
of your father who will help you, and by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of
heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the
womb.
The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, up to the utmost
bound of the everlasting hills.
They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separate
from his brothers.» (GENESIS 49:22-26)
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Genesis 49:23,24
The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and
hated him.
But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands
of the Mighty God of Jacob.
2 Timothy 4:17
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that
the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear.
And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
As a symbol of the work that triumphs over adversity thanks to God's support,
the bow perfectly illustrates the evangelical work of the first apostles.
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Revelation 6:2
And he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to
him.
1 Corinthians 9:25
And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in
all things.
Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Finally, the rider on a white horse receives a crown.
The apostle Paul indicates that an imperishable crown will be given to all those who fight
for God's cause, zealously proclaiming the gospel, and trying to bring as many souls as
possible to Jesus' cross.
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The crown is the reward of those who persevere in God's harvest:
«I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to
all who have loved His appearing.» (2 TIMOTHY 4:7,8)
«Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive
the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.» (JAMES 1:12)
«Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.» (REVELATION 2:10)
«Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.»
(REVELATION 3:11)
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Revelation 6:2
A crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and
to conquer.
Colossians 1:6
[The gospel] has come to you, as it has also in all the
world, and is bringing forth fruit.
The rider of the first seal «goes out» to
conquer, thus indicating that the work is only beginning.
Even though the work was just getting started, it grew very quickly during the years 31 to
100, as Paul illustrated when writing that the gospel «is bringing
forth fruit».
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Revelation 6:2
He went out conquering and to conquer.
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,
«All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I
have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.»
Jesus, the almighty One, knew that His Church would grow very quickly...
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Acts 2:5-11 : The Holy Spirit was
responsible for the Church's lightning start!
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men,
from every nation under heaven.
And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because
everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled,
saying to one another,
«Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own
language in which we were born?
Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the arts of Libya adjoining Cyrene,
visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - we hear them speaking in
our own tongues the wonderful works of God.»
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Then, the gospel quickly spread to all known countries:
«(...) the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was
preached to every creature under heaven.» (COLOSSIANS 1:23)
«Have they not heard? Yes indeed: their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their
words to the ends of the world.» (ROMANS 10:18)
«[I] declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region
of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works
befitting repentance.» (ACTS 26:20)
«I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished
through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient, in mighty signs and wonders,
by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I
have fully preached the gospel of Christ.» (ROMANS 15:18,19)
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Psalm 2:7,8
The Lord has said to Me,
«You are My Son. (...) I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of
the earth for Your possession.»
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the end of the earth.
The rider on a white horse has gone out «conquering and
to conquer», proclaiming the message of salvation in Jesus «to
the end of the earth».
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Revelation 6:2
He went out conquering and to conquer.
1 Corinthians 15:57
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:14
Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in
Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
As we spread the gospel, and as we fight against evil, let's always remember
that all our successes and victories are Christ's work.
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Mark 16:15,20
And [Jesus] said to them, «Go into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature.» (...)
And they went out and preached everywhere.
Matthew 24:14
This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The first seal illustrates the victorious start of the Church.
But the work isn't finished yet.
Jesus asks us to proclaim His message of salvation, with perseverance, to all nations
before His imminent return.
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Revelation 19:11,14
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.
And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and
makes war. (...)
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white
horses.
The beginning of the evangelical work of the Church is symbolized in the first
seal by the rider on a white horse, who goes out to conquer.
Interestingly enough, the conclusion of the evangelical work is also symbolized by the
same rider on a white horse, coming to conquer with His angels, all riding on white
horses!
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Let's thank God:
Our Father,
Some people said about the first apostles: «These who have turned
the world upside down have come here too.» (Acts 17:6)
We too can turn the world upside down by proclaiming the good news of salvation in Jesus
Christ. Just like the rider on the white horse, we want to war, not to kill, but to
proclaim to everyone the only way to eternal life.
«We do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.» (2 Corinthians
10:3,4)
Please help us to always be faithful soldiers for you. In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
Source of the Pictures of this Lesson
Screen 1: In: «Photo Gallery 25,000» by Media Graphics
International, CD #2, 072.JPG. Screen 2: MEMLING, Hans. «Saint John the
Evangelist on Patmos» (1474-79), Memling Museum, Belgium. In: «Revelation - Art of the
Apocalypse» (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.9. Screen 3: RUDEEN,
Herbert. In: «The Bible Story, volume 10» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1957, p.181. Screen 4: ALBEREGNO, Jacobello (d. 1397).
«Vision of Saint John the evangelist on Patmos», Galleria dell' Accademia, Venice. In:
«Revelation - Art of the Apocalypse» (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997,
p.16. Screen 5: STEEL, John. In: «God Cares, volume 2» (MAXWELL,
C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1985, p.174. Screen 6: PROVONSHA,
Clyde. In: «God Cares, volume 2» (MAXWELL, C. Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1985, p.88. Screen 7: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the
Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM230.BMP. Screen 8: In:
«La Révélation - le grand dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and
Tract Society, 1988, p.91. Screen 9: In: «The Watchtower» magazine (April
1, 1990), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.8. Screen 10: In:
«The Watchtower» magazine (January 1, 1986), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract
Society, p.7. Screen 11: Comstock Photo Library, London. In:
«Revelation» (LORIE, Peter), Simon & Schuster, Labyrinth Publishing Ltd, 1994,
p.211. Screen 12: «A statue of a cowboy iastride a rearing horse». In:
«Deluxe Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia CD - 2000 Edition», Compton's Home Library,
1999. Screen 13: ZINGARO, Charles. In: «The Bible Story, volume 5»
(MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1957, p.152. Screen
14: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen
Works, MLI Software, JM254.BMP. Screen 15: BAERG, Harry. In: «Signs of
the Times» magazine (December 1999), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.10.
Screen 16: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «The Bible Story, volume 4» (MAXWELL, Arthur
S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1955, p.22. Screen 17: MUSIO,
Nino. In: «Illustrated Bible Story for Children» (HUGUES, Ray), Joshua Morris Publishing
Inc., 1988, p.145. Screen 18: Bodleian Library, Oxford. In:
«Revelation» (LORIE, Peter), Simon & Schuster, Labyrinth Publishing Ltd, 1994, p.93.
Screen 19: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «The Bible Story, volume 10» (MAXWELL, Arthur
S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1957, p.190. Screen 20: HUTCHINSON,
W.M. In: «The Bible Story, volume 10» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1957, p.56. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 21: STEEL,
John. In: «L'Espoir de l'Humanité» volume 3 (Ellen G. White), Editions Le Monde
Français, Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1972, p.881. Screen 22: In:
«The Bible Pageant, Volume 5: Warriors of the Cross» (NEFF, Merlin L.), Pacific Press
Publishing Association, 1950, p.37. Screen 23: BERTELLO, Guido. In: «The
Children's Bible» (EDWARDS, David L.), Editions Williams Collins, 1978, p.310.
Screen 24: BISHOP, Tom. «First seal of Revelation 6». In: «New Pictoral Aid
For Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970,
chart #15. Screen 25: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «The Bible Story, volume 10»
(MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1957, p.185. Screen
26: HUTCHINSON, William. In: «Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories, volume 4»
(MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Review and Herald Publishing Association and Pacific Press
Publishing Association, 1976, p.143. Screen 27: HEASLIP, William. In:
«The Bible Story, volume 10» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association,
1957, p.197. Screen 28: In: «Photo Gallery 25,000» by Media Graphics
International, CD #2, 040_145.JPG.
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The test of Lesson 31 is waiting for you!