You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11-NKJV).
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:1-NKJV).
In my last blog, I begin talking about the sequence of events in the return of Christ. If you haven’t read it, please do so, for I will continue today with that theme. Over the last few years, the Lord has given me a new understanding of the sequence of events regarding the rapture of the church and the time period immediately following. I submit what the Lord has given me to you to consider and pray over, and for you to search the scriptures yourself to gain understanding of Jesus’ soon return.
In Revelation 4, God is shown as the Creator, owner and sustainer of all things. In Revelation 5, God is holding a scroll in His right hand as He is seated on His throne. The scroll is God’s title deed to planet earth. The scroll is sealed with seven seals, and can only be opened by a person with the authority and credentials to oversee the events that transpire when it is opened. Jesus Christ, depicted as the risen Lamb, is the only person in the universe found worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. He stands and takes the scroll out of God’s right hand.
In Revelation 6, Jesus begins the process of breaking the seven seals on the scroll in God’s right hand that keep the contents of the scroll from being known and coming to pass. As the title deed to planet earth, this scroll contains the sequence of events that will occur to purge the earth of rebellion, sin, and the contamination of the darkness brought on it by the Lucifer during his reign of stealing, killing, and destroying. The scroll contains the plans God has to renovate this planet made for human life, so that it will once again be a place of purity, and a place where God and man can fellowship together eternally.
As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” (2) I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory (Revelation 6:1-2 –NLT).
The breaking of this first seal on the scroll brings forth a rider on a white horse. The rider represents false Christ’s. This rider depicts a warrior as he is carrying a bow and wearing a crown. This is none other than the anti-Christ, who is everything opposite of our Lord Jesus! He will come as a man of peace, but later his heart will be revealed and he will take peace away from the earth.
The breaking of this first seal sets in motion Daniel’s 70th week. We read in Daniel 9:27 – The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
Daniel 9 reveals 490 years of Israel’s history from the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Jews’ captivity to Babylon until the second coming of Christ. 483 of those years have already come to pass, and 7 years of those 490 years remain to be fulfilled. We call this Daniel’s 70th week because each week is actually a week of years, or 7 years. There are 7 years of Jewish history yet in our future.
According to Daniel 9:27, this last 7 year period will begin with the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and their surrounding enemies. That’s the next current event we should look for. Once that treaty is signed, there will be 7 years before Jesus returns in His second coming!
I have believed for all of my Christian life that we believers would be raptured to heaven when this treaty is signed and the 7 years of Daniel 9:27 begin. But I have seen new light from the scriptures, as I will explain in detail as we move through this teaching. I hope we are raptured at that time, but if this treaty is signed and we are still here, I want to show you what the Bible clearly reveals that will transpire.
This first seal being opened begins the reign of the antiChrist, who will be a political leaders hailed as finally bringing peace to the Middle East by bringing Israel into a peace agreement with its hostile Arab neighbors. This may or may not revolve around the creation of a Palestinian State. Time will tell. This peace agreement could be reached in the next few months or it may be a few years in the making.
When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Come!”
(4) Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere (Revelation 6:3-4).
The breaking of the second seal on the scroll reveals a rider on a red horse, which depicts war coming to the earth. Under the rule of this peace treaty creating the leader we call antiChrist, war will break out on earth. It may be contained to the Middle East, or it may spread to other continents. Keep in mind that the Bible is an Eastern book, and these events are dealing with Israel and the surrounding nations. It remains to be seen whether or not or how much these events affect the USA.
With the interconnectedness of the world in the 21st century, we in America could certainly be affected financially, politically, and militarily by the war that occurs.
When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
(6) And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.” (Revelation 6:5-6).
When Jesus breaks the 3rd seal, a rider on a black horse appears. This depicts famine and inflation due to scarcity of food. Olives and Grapes (olive oil and wine) are staple goods in the Middle East, so verse 6 reveals that staple goods will be available.
This famine and subsequent price inflation are a result of war breaking out under the rule of this leader called antiChrist. This may be more prominent in the Middle East or it may spread to affect other areas of the world. Again, we may watch this play out in real time.
When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!”
(8) I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals (Revelation 6:7-8-NLT).
The breaking of the 4th seal reveals a rider on a pale green horse, which depicts disease and death spread due to war and the sepsis coming from dead bodies. Notice that this scripture says that these riders are given authority over ¼ of the earth. It doesn’t say that ¼ of the people on earth died. This ¼ of the earth could be the Middle East and surround area only. Again, we may see this play out in our lifetime.
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. (10) They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” (11) Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them (Revelation 6:9-11-NLT).
The breaking of the fifth seal is actually 3½ years into this 7 year period. This is when the antiChrist shows his true motives, turns against Israel, desecrates their rebuilt temple (Jesus calls this the Abomination of Desolation in Matthew 24), and begins to martyr Christians and Jews.
This could easily be linked to radical Islam and its Jihad – holy war against the infidel(unbeliever). Radical elements of Islam are gaining power in many Middle East and European nations today. Their Koran inspired mandate to kill those who refuse their religion and its Sharia law could easily be the fulfillment of this widespread martyrdom that occurs with the breaking of the fifth seal.
Don’t miss my blog tomorrow. There I will discuss the sixth seal on the scroll in God’s right hand and the major sign of the impending rapture of the church! These events should inspire us to pray and prepare for a drastically different world prior to Jesus’ return. He’s coming for a prepared people!