Revelation 1:19
THE FIRST SEAL: THE RISE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST
Revelation 6:1–2; 1 John 4:1–6; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12; Matthew 24:15–22
We have studied the first part of the third division (or Part 3) of the Book of Revelation under the topic, “THE PREAMBLE TO THE EVENTS OF THE LAST DAYS.” In that study, Jesus Christ was set forth as the only One found worthy to unseal the book that would trigger the events of the last days, which are recorded from the sixth chapter of Revelation.
Presently we are going to start with the first seal, as Jesus Christ our Lord unseals the book to reveal the mystery bound within it. We shall conduct this study under the topic:
THE FIRST SEAL: THE RISE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST. Revelation 6:1–2; 1 John 4:1–6; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12; Matthew 24:15–22.
Revelation 6:1-2:
“And 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.
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”.
The crowned rider on the white horse, having a bow and setting out on a mission to conquer, is not Jesus Christ, as some scholars assume. As at the time this revelation was given, Jesus Christ, according to Matthew 28:18; Philippians 2:9–11; Ephesians 1:15–22, etc., had already been given authority and power over all of God’s creation in all spheres of existence; He had nothing else to conquer.
Besides, the revelation of the crowned rider on the white horse, as at the time it was given to John, concerned the future, which had not yet been manifested. In a way, the revelation pointed into the future, to a time when that crowned rider, thus depicted, would arise and set out on his mission of conquest. The Bible foretold that, “…he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” Revelation 6:2b.
Who is this man? What or who are the objects of his conquest? What is the significance of his crown, his bow, and his white horse?
The white horse signifies nobility; the crown, authority and power; and the bow, might. When we put all these together, they give us a clear picture as follows:
“Nobility” means he will be a man of high social ranking. “Authority and power” means he will have and exercise dominion over the peoples. And “might” means he has what it takes to prevail in his mission.
What or who are the objects of his conquest? Interestingly, before this rider on the white horse ever came into the scene, Jesus Christ had already been crowned Lord of Lords and King of Kings in heaven and on earth by God Himself. Therefore, if another conqueror now arises, other than Jesus Christ, and is bent on a mission to conquer, it can only be assumed that the object of his conquest would be that or those who are already under the dominion of Jesus Christ.
Now, this pitches the crowned rider on the white horse against Jesus Christ. Only one person possesses the credentials for this task—the anti-Christ. So, therefore, the first rider on the white horse is undoubtedly the anti-Christ.
“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 who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
2 Thessalonians 2:4.
The Bible teaches the following about the anti-Christ (or the beast):
- That the spirit of the anti-Christ has already been in existence since the time of the early church . 1 John 4:1–4; 2:18; Ephesians 2:1–2. “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7.
- That the anti-Christ will come in physical manifestation at a time determined only by God. 2 Thessalonians 2:3–10; Revelation 13:1–6. “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.”
2 Thessalonians 2:8. - That the anti-Christ will deceive the world through great displays of powerful signs and wonders. 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 9, 10. “….Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish…” 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 8a.
- That the anti-Christ will wage war against all who are opposed to his government, chiefly the born-again children of God’s kingdom. Daniel 7:19–25; 11:31–35; Revelation 13:6, 7.
Revelation 13:6-7: “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations”.
- That the anti-Christ and his world government will seek to control and change the existing system or order of this world as we know it to be, so as to force all of mankind to bow to his will and, thus, forsake God’s will. Already, some of these changes are in place in some countries, and their laws have been amended to suit those changes. Some examples of those legislations enacted are: the right to same-sex marriages in Europe and America; freedom of religious persuasion, which has given rise to the founding of the Church of Satan in America; and so on and so forth. Revelation 13:16–18; Daniel 7:25.
Daniel 7:25: “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time”.
The above are just some of the signs to watch out for in determining who the anti-Christ will be. Some of the anomalies mentioned above are currently being brazenly practised by the people of the world, but the actual events that will officially reveal the anti-Christ to the world are yet to be triggered.
Howbeit, the physical presence of the anti-Christ is still shrouded in mystery. It is possible that he is alive and well now somewhere on planet earth, or that he is yet to be manifested. Only time will tell—God’s own time.
THE SECOND SEAL: THE TRIBULATION OF THE NATIONS AND PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH
Revelation 6:3–4; 13:7–10; Matthew 24:1–13
Having examined the content of the first seal, we are going to study under the second seal, but before then, we shall consider an interesting pattern in which the divine revelation was given.
Each of the seven seals and the events they reveal are in sequence and also correlate with the rest of the chapters of the Book of Revelation in a way that only the Holy Spirit can reveal to the reader. I am convinced that this study is undertaken under His guidance.
To make this point clear, for instance, it can be observed that the first seal, which introduces the rise of the anti-Christ, is connected to Revelation 13:1–6, which gives more details about the anti-Christ. The second seal, which we are about to study, is linked in the same way with Revelation 13:7–10. The same pattern is seen also in the third, fourth and fifth seals, which are linked with Revelation 13:11–18. The sixth seal also is linked with Revelation 14:1–20, as the seventh seal (Chapters 8, 9, 10 and 11) is with Revelation Chapters 15 and 16.
Chapters 12 and 17 of the Book of Revelation are explanatory or parenthetical chapters which give more details or insight into some of the events already captured by other chapters of the Book of Revelation.
For instance, while Chapter 12 gives further insight into Chapter 5 by revealing the identity and redemptive mission of the Lamb, it does so through the account of the woman and the Man Child. The Man Child born by the woman is Jesus Christ, the same Person revealed as the Lamb in Chapter 5. Both chapters, therefore, point to Jesus Christ and His victory, with Israel being the nation through which God’s Kingdom and His salvation through Jesus Christ would be revealed on earth, albeit amid satanic opposition and persecutions.
Chapter 17, on the other hand, explains Chapter 13, with an unnamed nation as the entity through which Satan’s evil kingdom and his anti-Christ regime would be revealed on earth to persecute the church.
Chapter 18 explains the fall of Satan’s anti-Christ kingdom, while Chapter 19 explains the ultimate return of Jesus Christ, with the saints, to subdue the anti-Christ government and its ruler. Chapter 20 explains Jesus Christ’s millennial kingdom here on earth, and the two resurrections: one of eternal peace, joy and glory for the saints, and the other of eternal shame, pains and damnation for the devil, his angels and all unrepentant sinners.
Chapters 21 and 22 sum up the Book of Revelation, with the description of the new creation of God and the heavenly city that would be the eternal habitation of redeemed mankind under the Kingdom of the Almighty God. In this city, the Eternal God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the celestial beings of heaven will dwell with all the saints of all ages in eternal heavenly bliss!
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away…” Revelation 21:3, 4.
We shall study all of that in due time. However, the task at hand now is on the second seal under the title:
THE TRIBULATION OF THE NATIONS AND PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH. Revelation 6:3, 4; 13:7–10; Matthew 24:1–13.
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring, men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken….” Luke 21:25, 26.
The second seal reveals a rider on a red horse, holding a great sword, and bent on a divine mission to take away peace from the earth. The red horse signifies danger and bloodshed, while the great sword signifies large-scale warfare and conflicts.
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…” Matthew 24:6, 7.
As the rider revealed in the first seal sweeps across the earth, conquering nations and winning allies, the inevitable outcome of his campaign would be a worldwide conflict and bloodshed, which is portrayed by the second seal, having the red horse rider with a great sword.
A harmonious interpretation of the first two seals, therefore, would reveal that the anti-Christ government would engage in brutal force in gaining support from nations of the world. This agrees with Revelation 13:7–10.
“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Revelation 13:7.
There have been wars and conflicts of varying degrees, sizes and/or magnitude since creation, but the one being contemplated in the second seal is quite unique because it is portrayed as affecting the whole earth at the same time. See Revelation 6:3, 4.
“And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat therein to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”
Since most major military campaigns and wars over the millennia are well documented, it is easy to see which of them has so far fit the revelation of the second seal. Without much trouble, we can say the First World War, which began in 1914, and the Second World War, which began on 1 September 1939, do.
Today, also, there are several wars going on around the world. It is safe to say that there are more nations at war, at home and/or abroad, than there are peaceful nations.
Unless there is a more credible explanation, we can conclude by saying that whereas the first rider of the first seal has been gathering support and conquering more and more nations to his anti-Christ ideology (1 John 4:1–3), the second rider of the second seal began his mission in earnest as of 1914 when, for the first time in human history, the whole world was drawn into a political conflict and warfare, thus taking peace from the nations of the earth.
The trend has continued ever since; we have witnessed a second world war since then and several other regional or territorial conflicts up till date. Only the second coming of Jesus Christ will put an end to this.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.
THE THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH SEALS: THE REGIME OF TERROR BY THE MAN OF SIN
Revelation 6:5–11; 13:11–18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12
We have so far treated the mysteries of the first and second seals separately, but now we are going to look into the third, fourth and fifth seals together as one study. This is necessary because the events of these three seals are the direct consequences of those of the first two seals. We shall look at this study under the topic:
THE REGIME OF TERROR BY THE MAN OF SIN.
Revelation 6:5–11; 13:11–18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12.
The word “anti-Christ,” as used in the Bible (1 John 4:1–3), is not the name of a person but, rather, a concept used to describe the spirit of rebellion against the teachings of Jesus Christ. As Jesus was revealed to this world of lost humanity as “…the way, the truth, and the life…”, that leads to God in heaven, so also the anti-Christ is revealed as a deceiving spirit that lures mankind to rebel against “…the way, the truth, and the life…”
albeit to their eternal damnation unless they repent.
The first rider on the white horse is the embodiment of that anti-Christ spirit, sweeping across the world, conquering nations and winning allies to this satanic ideology. It is easy to see this influence in economic and political policies all over the world; the careers that fetch the most pay and the political policies that enjoy the most support are those that strip mankind of their allegiance to Jesus Christ.
This is no coincidence—it is a deliberate design where religious consciousness is sacrificed for economic or political gains. Take a thoughtful look at the entertainment industry, the business empires of the world and the government policies of most countries, and consider how far-fetched they are from the righteousness of God revealed through Christ.
Those who dare to be different—whether nations or individuals—are labelled as human rights violators, haters or anti-socialists, and the second rider on the red horse rides against them to battle with his great sword, imposing economic sanctions, embargoes or outright warfare. This is the government of the anti-Christ, seeking to unite all the nations of the world into one kingdom or government. See Daniel 7:23–26; Revelation 13:1–9.
“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.”
Daniel 7:23.
This part of the study focuses on the consequences of these anti-Christ activities on the earth, as revealed by the two previous riders, their horses and their missions to earth. Revelation 6:5–11 finds clear expression in Revelation 13:11–18 as follows:
Verses 5 and 6:
The third seal reveals a rider on a black horse with a pair of balances in his hand. Black represents evil, terror, gloom, hopelessness and a general lack of empathy. The balances were to measure out the wheat and barley (both staple foods in those days) at a price to the hungry. Oil and wine (which were not staple foods) were to be left unhurt by the rationing.
The picture portrayed by this seal is that of famine and the evils associated with it. Lamentations 4:1–10; Ezekiel 4:16, 17; Leviticus 26:26.
“And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat and not be satisfied.”
Leviticus 26:26.
As more and more nations go to war, food cultivation and commercial activities would inevitably be slowed down, or completely cut off in some regions of the world, thus, in the long run, occasioning a severe, worldwide famine, as illustrated by the third seal and its rider.
Verses 7 and 8
The fourth seal reveals a pale horse. Pale, as a colour, represents weakness, loss, illness, decay, etc., and it is no wonder that the one who rides on that pale horse is called Death, having Hell as his companion.
Their mission to earth would be to destroy a quarter of the population of the world by means of the sword (wars and conflicts), hunger (through famine or as a direct consequence of lack of purchasing power), death (by diseases, malnutrition, despair or general failure of bodily function as a result of the above combined factors) and with the beasts of the earth. The picture above is one of chaos and anarchy.
“So will I send famine upon you and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee: and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the Lord have spoken it.” Ezekiel 5:17.
Once food supply is disturbed worldwide, it will also confuse the food chain; both man and beast will hunt each other in a desperate bid for survival.
Verses 9 and 10
The fifth seal reveals neither a horse nor a rider with a mission, but a scene in heaven: the souls of Christian martyrs who lost their lives in the ensuing tribulation discussed in the previous seals.
“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held…” Revelation 6:9.
Without any doubt, this altar is situated before God’s throne in heaven, as the following scriptures would corroborate: Revelation 8:3; 9:13; 14:18.
But why were those souls under the altar? First, we must understand that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice was the final one required for the complete atonement for sin. See Hebrews 10:4–10, 26.
“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10.
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin….”
Hebrews 10:26.
In the light of the above scriptures, it is established that that altar before God’s presence in heaven, under which the souls of the martyrs were housed, is not one for sacrifices. However, certain activities were recorded as taking place before this same altar, namely:
a. An angel offered incense together with the prayers of all saints at this altar. Revelation 8:3–5. Since prayers are not said in Heaven (only praises, thanksgiving and worship, as the following scriptures support, namely: Revelation 4:8–11; 5:8–14; 7:9–12; 11:16–17; 15:2–4; 19:1–4; we must come to the conclusion that “the prayer of all saints” refers to the saints of God still on the earth, whose prayers, having ascended up to heaven, were offered to God by the Angel, together with the incense, at the golden altar in heaven.
“Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Psalms 141:2.
b. A voice spoke from the horns of this same altar, instructing an angel to do an act in the river Euphrates, on earth. Revelation 9:13, 14.
c. Another angel gave instruction from this same altar to another angel concerning the earth. Revelation 14:18, 19.
From the foregoing, we can opine that the golden altar before the throne of God in heaven is a heavenly portal serving as a meeting point between God and His earthly creation.
The activities recorded around this altar suggest that it serves as a point of divine interaction involving worship, the presentation of the prayers and intercession of God’s people on earth, divine communication and the execution of God’s judgments concerning the earth. The altar is therefore presented not merely as a place of worship, but also as a point through which matters concerning God’s earthly creation are brought before Him and divine instructions concerning the earth proceed.
If this is so, then we can now say that the souls under the altar were those of martyrs just arriving in heaven after leaving their murdered bodies on the earth. This is corroborated by the next line of action which follows in Revelation 6:11.
“And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
In summary, we can, and do, say that the three seals under this part of the study, which paint a grim picture of a severe tribulation, are a fallout of the activities of the anti-Christ regime.
Having said so, we shall look at how Revelation 13:11–18 corroborates this finding:
Verse 11
“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”.
In this portion of the scripture, we see a symbol of the man of sin (popularly referred to in Christendom as the anti-Christ) portrayed. He is portrayed as a beast from the earth, which makes him out to be a natural, physical man. See Genesis 2:7; 1 Corinthians 15:47, 48.
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7.
This beast has an appearance like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon. This is a significant contrast. Its lamb-like appearance suggests gentleness, innocence or religious credibility, which could make it appear trustworthy and acceptable to the people. However, its dragon-like speech exposes its true character and the satanic influence behind it. In other words, it presents itself with the semblance of a religious figure, while its words and actions reveal a violent and devilish nature. This deceptive appearance is part of the strategy by which it will mislead the inhabitants of the earth and lead them into allegiance with the first beast portrayed in Revelation 13:1-10, of whom we have much to say subsequently.
This understanding is further supported by Revelation 19:20, where the second beast is identified as the false prophet who performed signs in the presence of the first beast and deceived those who received the mark of the beast and worshipped its image.
In contrast with this, however, the first beast in this chapter of the scripture, which came out of the sea, is not man but a kingdom. The sea is symbolic of the multitude of people (Revelation 17:15; Isaiah 8:7), so the beast arising out of the sea would, therefore, be a product or creation of the people of the world. As a matter of fact, this beast is the currently emerging New World Order, championed by the people of the world under the influence of Satan the dragon. See Revelation 13:1–2.
Verse 12
This portion of the scripture helps us understand that the second beast, the man of sin or anti-Christ, is the designated leader of the anti-Christ government, or kingdom, emerging from the sea, because he exercises powers only delegated to him by this kingdom (or beast) to lure the world into allegiance with the anti-Christ government.
“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…” Revelation 13:12.
Verse 13
This portion of the scripture helps us understand the strategy the man of sin would employ in luring the world to embrace the currently emerging new world system of the anti-Christ spirit:
“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire to 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.” Revelation 13:13, 14.
The man of sin would shoot into prominence and fame when he emerges as world leader to heal the world and help it recover from the devastations caused by the events of the previous five seals. He would, by these works, achieve what, until that time, has seemed an impossible thing to do by previous leaders of the world.
This impossible feat (whatever it would be), now made possible, is probably what the scripture captures allegorically as, “He maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.” We shall explain this and more in greater detail when we study Revelation Chapter 17.
Verses 15–18
After its emergence from a most difficult time, and now under the promising leadership of the man of sin, the world would stop at nothing to ensure that nothing or no one takes it back to the previous economic and political woes from which it had just barely recovered, even if it means lynching a whole community of resisting, practising Christians who would not bow to the regime of the anti-Christ.
“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”.
Revelation 13:15.
Since the beast referred to here is a government of the United Kingdoms of the earth, its image, referred to in the quoted scripture above, therefore, would not be an effigy but, most likely, a security outfit that would censor the daily activities of the peoples of the world and bring to justice those who would appear to be in opposition to the prevailing rule of law under the anti-Christ regime.
Part of this law is stated in Verses 16 and 17:
“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.”
This, from all indication, would be the “Image of the beast” contemplated in Verses 14 and 15. Most likely, it would be an automated security device able to read “the image of the beast” or some biochips implanted in the citizens’ right hands or foreheads.
The technology involved could take different forms, or even combine several technologies. It could involve implanted electronic identification devices such as biochips, biometric identification systems capable of recognising individuals through their unique physical characteristics, digital identification systems, or electronic payment platforms linked to an individual’s identity. It could also involve electronic surveillance systems capable of monitoring people’s activities and identifying those who do not comply with the requirements of the anti-Christ regime.
Whatever form it eventually takes, the essential purpose would be to establish a system of identification and control through which people would be compelled to demonstrate allegiance to the beast before they could participate in ordinary economic activities, particularly buying and selling.
Such a system would also be able to alert patrolling security personnel to defaulters, thus causing them to be arrested and executed, as stated in Verse 15.
“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 Three score and Six.” Verse 18.
TO BE CONTINUED