Read thru Revelation again as well as passing the Gospels & Letters thru memory/mind.
i cannot find a reason for the First Horseman to be Christ other then the Crown and color White.
Hello brother. Good to see you back!
I can only ask you to look at it a different way:
Think first about
what the seals are: The seals need to be loosed in order to see the contents in the scroll. The final seal needs to be opened before the scroll can be read to us. Christ was the only one found worthy to loose the scroll's seals because He was slain (Revelation 5:1-5).
Chapters 7-22 of the Revelation is
the contents of the scroll being read to us - the scroll that can only be read to us once the last of the 7 seals is opened. Therefore the scroll being read to us must be understood
in the light of the visions John saw when each seal was opened.. In other words, The seals are about (a) opening the scroll; and (b) opening the understanding of the one who hears the words of the prophecy which is written on the scroll.
With the exception of chapter 12, all the contents of the scroll
(chapters 7-19) are the prophecy concerning the final 3.5 years of the Age and the return of Christ, and it must and can only be understood in the light of the visions seen in each seal. It's important to note
what we are told in the scroll about the events taking place during this final 3.5 years,
without leaving anything out of our mind.
In this regard it's also important to note that the chapter divisions in the New Testament and the Revelation were only added in the year AD 1227,
and there are some parts of some chapters in the Revelation which should be included in the previous chapter: For example, Revelation 19:1-4 belong in chapter 18 with the destruction of Babylon the Great.
Likewise Revelation 14:1-5 belongs with Revelation 13:11-18. In fact the entire chapter (Revelation 14) should begin with Revelation 13:11, because Revelation 14:1-5 is speaking about those who have the seal of God who did not worship the beast or its image (as is also mentioned in Revelation 13:6).
It's very important to note that two of the three things we are told about in Revelation 14 as coming before the harvest is gathered, are the following:
And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven,
having the everlasting gospel to preach to those dwelling on the earth, even to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, saying with a great voice, Fear God and give glory to Him! For the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him who made the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
And a third angel followed them, saying with a great voice,
If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark in his forehead or in his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the anger of God, having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented by fire and brimstone before the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. And they have no rest day or night, those who worship the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name. Here is the patience of the saints. Here are the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Revelation 11
3 And
I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy a thousand, two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
7
And when they complete their testimony, the beast coming up out of the abyss will make war against them and will overcome them and kill them.
In other words, among other things THE SCROLL TELLS US THAT THE GOSPEL WILL BE GOING OUT IN POWER DURING THE FINAL 3.5 YEARS OF THE AGE
#8 Finally the Conclusion of the matter is in Revelation 19 where the Real King of kings is shown to us - Name included with many Crowns
Now 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. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
Please also see what comes below the heading "NOT AN ACTUAL PERSON" in my reply.
Why do you ignore Revelation 14:14? In Revelation 14:14 Jesus is crowned with a stéphanos (a crown of victory and honour which was given to Him by God).
It’s important to note that in this passage His appearance is in the form of the Son of man (who, as we know, has been given a name above all names).
But in Revelation 19:19 Christ 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).
Note: Jesus has been
given a name above all names. As the victorious son of Man He is
given the stéphanos He's wearing in Revelation 14:14, but as King of (all) kings and Lord of (all) Lords the MANY diádēma belong to Him.
Therefore your argument about the stéphanos crown being
given to the rider on the first horse does not hold. Not only does it not hold in that instance, but it does not hold because the crowns on each of the following are also stéphanos:
Revelation 12:1 (crown of 12 stars on the woman's head);
Revelation 2:10 & 3:11 (the crowns of the saints);
Revelation 4:4 & 10 (the crowns of the 24 elders).
Revelation 14:14 (Christ).
Your protest regarding the fact that the rider of the white horse is given a
gold stéphanos crown also does not hold , because the gold crown corresponds to the theme in the Revelation, and
Jesus is crowned with stéphanos of gold in Revelation 14:14, and gold is only used in the following:
Rev.1:13 & 20 & 2:1 (golden lamp-stands, golden band around the breast of the Son of man);
Rev.3:18 (gold tried in the fire);
Rev.4:4 (golden crowns of the 24 elders in heaven);
Rev.5:18 (golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints);
Rev. 8:3 & 9:13 (golden censer, golden altar);
Rev. 14:14 (golden crown of the Son of man);
Rev.15:6 (golden bands around the angels' chests);
Rev.15:7 (golden bowls of God's wrath);
Rev.21:15 (golden reed to measure the holy city, new Jerusalem);
Rev. 21:18 (the New Jerusalem is a city of pure gold);
Rev.21:21 (the New Jerusalem's street is of pure gold).
"I counsel you to buy from Me gold tried in the fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be clothed, and so that the shame of your nakedness does not appear. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see." (Revelation 3:18) (Gold is a metal which must be smelted in great heat in order to purify it).
The only exception is the crowns worn by the locusts that are something like stéphanos and similar to gold (fake crowns and fools gold):
"Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns (stéphanos) similar to gold, and their faces looked like men's faces." (Revelation 9:7)
NOT AN ACTUAL PERSON
Then there is also this assumption that you seem to be making that the rider represents an actual person. It does not. The horses are not literal horses. The seals are symbolizing the events written on the scroll, and the riders of the horses represent either
the powers behind those events (as in the first and second horsemen), or
the cause of the events being described in the seal (as in the third and fourth seals).
Remember that among other things,
the scroll tells us of the gospel going out during the final 3.5 years of the Age. The seals open the scroll, and the visions seen in the seals open our understanding to the events that are written on the scroll.
Since the scroll tells us that the gospel will be going out during the final 3.5 years, to me there's no reason whatsoever to assume that the white horse going forth conquering and to conquer does not represent the gospel and the activities of the two witnesses (or at least the activities of saints).
Jesus' head and hair appear white like wool (Rev 1:14).
The stone with a saint's name written on it is a white stone (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).
The first horseman of the Apocalypse is riding a white horse (Revelation 6:2).
THE FIRST TWO HORSEMEN ARE OPPOSING FORCES
I think that maybe? the biggest problem with the view you express, is that you seem to see the second horse as something that
follows the first, like events which follow naturally the one after the other. But I do not believe this is the case. The first two horses represent two opposing forces in the last 3.5 years of the Age: The gospel, and the beast/Antichrist.
@David in NJ I edited regarding the chapter divisions (this is the last edit).