The first horseman of the Apocalypse
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You've concluded that the color "White" will ALWAYS signify a certain thing, regardless of what it's context is, how it is uses, where it appears.
Do you hold the same to be true across the board? Will you be consistent in this?
Is the "red" dragon "red" because "red" ALWAYS signifies evil in the Revelation?
The "green" horse, pestilent and deadly, is all that is green in the Bible pestilent and deadly?
Much love!
LOL. No one is able to offer a good reason why the white horse of the first seal is the only exception to the rule in the Revelation.
But it's not. I've shown you another. They refer to known things.
Every place "white" is used in the Revelation:
1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
6:2 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.
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 fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15:6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Hair white as snow. A white stone. White clothing. A white horse. A white cloud. White linen, white clothing, white horses. And lastly a white throne.
Of these, only the white clothing is named as representing something else. The first thing I look for in declaring things in the Bible symbolic of something is the Bible's own declaration that something is symbolic, and secondly, I look for the Bible to give a declaration of what is being symbolized.
Of all these, only the clothing fits that description.
Hair white like snow, the glory of the old man is his hoary head, that is, grey hair. Jesus' is pure white, perhaps indicating the most mature wisdom, but this isn't stated. Only that His hair is described as white, and compared to wool.
A white stone. This was something commonly known as a legal instrument showing a person's aquittal of a crime.
White clothing. Again, this is declared as representing something that being righteousness, righteous acts.
A white cloud. Considering clouds are most often white . . .
White horses. Again, a known thing. The horse a warring king would ride.
A white throne. Descriptive of it's color. Does the color signify something about this throne? We can only speculate what that would be.
I'm curious now about the first mention of "white" . . .
Genesis 30:35 KJV
And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
Interestingly, it's of "white" as being distinct from other colors. Things that make you go Hmmmm.
Much love!
So here are the clues the Revelation gives:
So the stéphanos is a crown of victory, which is also an honor, because it is bestowed upon someone by someone else with a higher status. Its origin is the wreath bestowed upon the victors in the ancient Greek games. A stéphanos crown is not the same as a diádēma, which is a crown of authority (worn by kings).
The word stéphanos (crown of victory, which is an honor that has been bestowed upon someone) is found in the following verses:-
Rev 12:1 (crown of 12 stars on the woman's head);
Rev 2:10 & 3:11 (the crowns of the saints);
Rev 4:4 & 10 (the crowns of the 24 elders).
In Revelation 14:14 Jesus is crowned with a stéphanos (crown of honor). In this passage His appearance is in the form of the Son of man (Whom, as we know, has been given a name above all names),
but in Revelation 19:19 He is crowned with MANY diádēma. In this passage He is returning as King of (all) kings and Lord of (all) Lords (see Revelation 19:16).
Rev 6:2 (the crown on the head of the rider of the white horse: the first horseman of the Apocalypse, is a stéphanos.
The color white is linked to purity, righteousness wherever else it is found in the Revelation:
Jesus' head and hair appear white like wool (Rev 1:14).
A white stone with a saint's name written on it (Rev 2:17).
The white raiment of the saints (Rev.3:5 & 18; 6:11; 7:9, 13 & 14).
The white clothing of the 24 elders (Rev 4:4).
The white clothing of angels (Rev 15:6).
The white raiment of the bride of Christ (Rev 19:8).
The Great White Throne (Rev 20:11).
Christ seated on a white cloud (Rev 14:14).
Christ returns on a white horse, leading His armies (Rev 19:11).
Christ's armies are riding white horses (Rev 19:14).
I went to the trouble of checking up what that highly educated and highly respected Biblical scholar by the name of Matthew Henry had to say about the first horseman in his commentary. Here's an excerpt of what he wrote:
QUOTE
The Lord Jesus appears riding on a white horse. White horses are generally refused in war, because they make the rider a mark for the enemy; but our Lord Redeemer was sure of the victory and a glorious triumph, and he rides on the white horse of a pure but despised gospel, with great swiftness through the world.
He had a bow in his hand. The convictions impressed by the word of God are sharp arrows, they reach at a distance; and, though the ministers of the word draw the bow at a venture, God can and will direct it to the joints of the harness. This bow, in the hand of Christ, abides in strength, and, like that of Jonathan, never returns empty.
A crown was given him, importing that all who receive the gospel must receive Christ as a king, and must be his loyal and obedient subjects; he will be glorified in the success of the gospel. When Christ was going to war, one would think a helmet had been more proper than a crown; but a crown is given him as the earnest and emblem of victory.
He went forth conquering, and to conquer. As long as the church continues militant Christ will be conquering. UNQUOTE
But as we can see in this thread, you guys are all experts at the Revelation, your insight is greater than any other.
So I'm not here to argue your position. Suffice to have produced the facts surrounding the crown of victory and the color white. But I disagree with all of you in your assertion that the rider of the first horse is the Antichrist, because it's quite clearly flawed.
So the stéphanos is a crown of victory, which is also an honor, because it is bestowed upon someone by someone else with a higher status. Its origin is the wreath bestowed upon the victors in the ancient Greek games. A stéphanos crown is not the same as a diádēma, which is a crown of authority (worn by kings).
The word stéphanos (crown of victory, which is an honor that has been bestowed upon someone) is found in the following verses:-
Rev 12:1 (crown of 12 stars on the woman's head);
Rev 2:10 & 3:11 (the crowns of the saints);
Rev 4:4 & 10 (the crowns of the 24 elders).
In Revelation 14:14 Jesus is crowned with a stéphanos (crown of honor). In this passage His appearance is in the form of the Son of man (Whom, as we know, has been given a name above all names),
but in Revelation 19:19 He is crowned with MANY diádēma. In this passage He is returning as King of (all) kings and Lord of (all) Lords (see Revelation 19:16).
Rev 6:2 (the crown on the head of the rider of the white horse: the first horseman of the Apocalypse, is a stéphanos.
The color white is linked to purity, righteousness wherever else it is found in the Revelation:
Jesus' head and hair appear white like wool (Rev 1:14).
A white stone with a saint's name written on it (Rev 2:17).
The white raiment of the saints (Rev.3:5 & 18; 6:11; 7:9, 13 & 14).
The white clothing of the 24 elders (Rev 4:4).
The white clothing of angels (Rev 15:6).
The white raiment of the bride of Christ (Rev 19:8).
The Great White Throne (Rev 20:11).
Christ seated on a white cloud (Rev 14:14).
Christ returns on a white horse, leading His armies (Rev 19:11).
Christ's armies are riding white horses (Rev 19:14).
I went to the trouble of checking up what that highly educated and highly respected Biblical scholar by the name of Matthew Henry had to say about the first horseman in his commentary. Here's an excerpt of what he wrote:
QUOTE
The Lord Jesus appears riding on a white horse. White horses are generally refused in war, because they make the rider a mark for the enemy; but our Lord Redeemer was sure of the victory and a glorious triumph, and he rides on the white horse of a pure but despised gospel, with great swiftness through the world.
He had a bow in his hand. The convictions impressed by the word of God are sharp arrows, they reach at a distance; and, though the ministers of the word draw the bow at a venture, God can and will direct it to the joints of the harness. This bow, in the hand of Christ, abides in strength, and, like that of Jonathan, never returns empty.
A crown was given him, importing that all who receive the gospel must receive Christ as a king, and must be his loyal and obedient subjects; he will be glorified in the success of the gospel. When Christ was going to war, one would think a helmet had been more proper than a crown; but a crown is given him as the earnest and emblem of victory.
He went forth conquering, and to conquer. As long as the church continues militant Christ will be conquering. UNQUOTE
But as we can see in this thread, you guys are all experts at the Revelation, your insight is greater than any other.
So I'm not here to argue your position. Suffice to have produced the facts surrounding the crown of victory and the color white. But I disagree with all of you in your assertion that the rider of the first horse is the Antichrist, because it's quite clearly flawed.
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I've read it four times through . . . I can't find any other colors mentioned . . .
?
In the Revelation (which is the book where the seals are found) the color white represents ... what, exactly?... wherever else its found in the Revelation?
@marks
You have to tell me what else the color white represents in the Revelation, since you are claiming it represents something else. So the onus is on you to come up with what you think it represents.
In the first post I mentioned that the second horse is a red horse, which happens to be the color of the dragon.
Tell me, what is the red horse's rider doing?
@marks
You haven't read it enough because you claim the color white represents something else in the Revelation, but though the onus is on you to say what else it represents, you still have not done so.
Please read post # 86 again, but read it properly this time. Because if you can't read one post properly and understand what it's saying, then you can't read an entire book called the Revelation properly and understand what it's saying.
But since you are claiming to understand what it's saying, tell us what you think the color white represents in the Revelation.
White clothing in the Revelation is identified as symbolizing the righteousness of the saints, and their righteous deeds.
What other place do you find a color in the Revelation to be declared a symbol, and what that symbol means?
I ask about the other colors to see if you are consistent in your view on colors in the Revelation. I suggest that either Scripture says something, and if it doesn't, if we assert it, we are asserting what is actually our own speculation.
Much love!
No you are the one who's produced all the speculation in your own mind and repeating it here.
But I rely on the Holy Spirit and the scriptures only, and learn from informed teachers who have a much better idea of what they're talking about than what I've seen you displaying in this thread.
Where the Bible declares something to be a symbol, I'll consider it to be a symbol. And I'll use the the meaning for that symbol which the Bible itself supplies.
So then, I can know as a truth that white clothing in the Revelation is symbolic for righteousness, and for righteous acts.
You want to extend that meaning to things which are not clothing, but are other things, a stone, horses, clouds, a throne, yet, there is no passage of Scripture tellings us those are symbolic of some other thing, and what that symbol means.
Much love!
Because I won't go beyond what the Bible says? Guilty as charged!
Much love!
It simply means what it says. They are given a white stone, because the stone is white. It was used to give a record of a verdict in court. Jesus will ride a white horse because the conquering king rode a white horse. The angel sits on a white cloud, as clouds are white.
Much love!
The fact of the matter is in the Revelation the color white is not used for anything that is Satanic. Not even once.
You've chosen to remain blind to that fact, though it's been shown to you so clearly. That's why the bottom of my signature says,
If you're standing in a dark room you can't expel darkness by hurling punches at the darkness. You shine a light into the darkness and the darkness will be expelled by the light.
But the blind still won't see the light.
You continue to restate your assertion, but without evidence, and now just making it personal insults every time also.
Much love!
I thought that maybe if you can see the clues the Revelation gives and understand that just as the horses in Zechariah chapter 1 represent events going on in the earth and the powers behind them, you would be able to understand that the horses in the Revelation are not literal horses but the riders on them represent the powers behind them, and if you look at what the rider of the second horse is doing you would understand that the fact that he's riding a red horse (the color of the dragon in Revelation 12:3) represents the fact that the power behind him is Satan - (the power behind the beast of Revelation 13:1-10).
The first horse represents the gospel going out, and the power behind the rider is Christ. The rider could represent the two witnesses, it could represent the faithful churches.
The rest of the horses also represent the events that are taking place in the earth. Only one rider is given a crown - and it's a crown of victory.
BUT because so many saints have become blinded to this truth by their own interpretations of the first horseman, there was really no point in my saying so.
(Because even now, you and others here will merely tell me (or at least continue to imply by your replies) that it is me who is basing what I just said above on my own (private) interpretations, and (therefore) I don't know what I'm talking about.
So there's no point in going on when the basics of your understanding is faulty because you believe the first horseman is the Antichrist. The second horseman is the Antichrist. It's the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1) which He gave to His servants, and He knows who the rider of the second horse is and what he is going to do (which is given us in the Lord's Revelation), and this is why John saw the second rider on a red horse (which isn't a literal horse).
The seals describe the events to take place in the earth, and the riders describe the powers behind them.
Whenever I hear Christians saying that Christ is the Antichrist, it makes me shudder, because I realize how much deception Satan is capable of, even in the church.
Something is going to cause what Paul called THE apostasy in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 - something other than the man of sin in the temple - and it's called strong delusion.
If you cannot even identify the difference between a reference to Christ and another to the Antichrist in the Revelation (even when the Revelation gives such strong clues), it makes me shudder for all the saints.
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There are many many interpretations of these.
And yes, this is a vision, and I'm not imagining some sort of "cosmic horseman" riding about in the heavens.
Your interpretation seems to be based on what the colors remind you of, and in other places they are used. But they are not based on direct statements from the Bible.
I don't know if you are familiar with what some refer to as "the law of first mention", which is the idea that the first place something is named in the Bible, that sets the tone for how they are used. The serpent first appears as the subtle tempter of man, Gen. 3. Love first appears as the love of a father for his only son, about to be offered in death, Gen. 22. Red first appears as the color of Esau, and white first appears as a color of goat, as opposed to other colors.
Revelation seems to inspire speculation in people, and this part seems no exception. None of these riders are identified, and we have only these very few statements for information.
Personally I'm of the view that while Zechariah's horseman more represented events, or localized historical conditions, I'm thinking the 4 horseman in the Revelation represent world conditions of the end of the age, specifically when the birth pangs foretold by Jesus become non-stop, the birth now in progress, like that.
But again, this now is my own speculation, since, as I've been saying, not much information is given.
Much love!
And what of someone who is willing to base so much on so little? Shuddering over the state of the church because others won't join you in your speculations?
Much love!
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