The Rider Of The White Horse

Introduction

This is not good. I was feeling far more energetic and excited about this lesson an hour ago. But all of a sudden, daylight savings time has kicked in. And all of a sudden I’m feeling sluggish and unsure. And maybe it’s in the first rule of preaching successfully. Don’t try the book of Revelation when you move to daylight savings time. So here we go tonight. Let’s see what comes of this. Hopefully, this will have some benefit to you. And maybe a sermon, you’ve never heard one quite like this, and may never again. What’s going on in the book of Revelation? Culture is affecting Christians. Not just the morality or immorality of their surroundings, but also opposition, conflict, erroneous teaching. The book of Revelation is written in troubled times for Christians.

Quickly we get into the messages to the seven churches, and we find out that the church in Ephesus that had started so strongly has now left her first love. A church in Sardis that had a great reputation, but yet was dead. And then the Laodiceans. Oh, they thought everything was wonderful in their relationship to the Lord, but the Lord’s assessment of them was miserable, blind, naked, and poor. Satan is presenting challenges to the faithful. And to the untrained eye, the one that is focused horizontally. It appears that Satan is winning. It appears that all that has been promised about the kingdom is coming to naught. It’s going to be obliterated. But the book of Revelation is really written in an answer to Daniel 24. That the kingdom was going to be established and last forever.

And the book of Revelation responds affirmatively that is so, that it will survive. Some remain true to the Lord. There were those in Sardis, even though they had a name that they were alive, but they were dead, who had not soiled their garments. Some to whom Jesus addresses these letters to the seven churches, some of them will repent and overcome and receive the associated blessings. But some will indeed lay down their lives for what they believe, like Antipas in Pergabon, where Satan’s throne was. And there are saints crying beneath the altar in the fifth seal in Revelation chapter 6, who were slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained, and they cried out with a loud voice How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth.

And they were told, as they were each given a white robe, to wait a little longer. Jesus is identified at the beginning of the book of Revelation. It is a frightening picture. It’s an awesome picture. John is physically affected by the vision of Jesus that he sees, the vision of the first and the last. And then in chapter 4, he sees the great throne scene. Where the 24 elders and the four living creatures and everything in that scene is giving praise and honor to God that is due him. And then he sees in chapter 5 a book in his right hand. And no one is found who is worthy to take the book out of his hand. But there is no cause for weeping. Because one is found who is worthy.

And the one who is worthy is the Lamb. The Lion of Judah. The root of David. And he, along with the one who sits upon the throne, reigns. And there is praise given to him. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing to him who sits on the throne, verse 13. And to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.

And the elders fell down and worshiped. But then this: the lamb who was worthy to take the book out of the hand of the one who sits upon the throne. Now the Lamb takes this book and its seven seals, and he starts taking the seals off the book. And as he peels them off the book, other pictures unfold that John begins to describe to us. And so the question I want to entertain tonight is what is the first seal all about? Who is the rider on the white horse? And I saw when the lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, come. 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. Well, that’s it. That’s what I want to talk to you about tonight. What does this seal represent? What is it talking about? We go on to read in the second seal about another horse, a red horse. We go on in the next seal to read about a third horse, that is a black horse. And in the fourth seal, we have an ashen-colored horse. And in the fifth seal, we have the martyrs who are crying out for vengeance. And the sixth seal, the terror that God will bring upon his enemies, and the seventh seal doesn’t come about until chapter 9. So, what is this first seal all about? There are two main possibilities.

1. The Argument for Jesus as the Rider

Either the rider on the white horse in the first seal is Jesus, or it is someone or something else. And may I suggest that Jesus is often the most common and popular interpretation of the first seal? We know it is not the Lone Ranger. Some of you were talking about the Lone Ranger on the way in. We know it’s not him. And we also know, as someone posted on my Facebook page when I said I was preaching on this tonight, we know it is not Katie Perry. Apparently, there was some music video that she was riding on a white horse. We know it is not. We can rule out some people that it is not. But what about the argument for Jesus? The rider on the white horse.

Does it represent the victorious course of the gospel because of the similarities between this portrait and the one we read in Revelation chapter 19? So go ahead and flip over to Revelation chapter 19. And if you saw my earlier post about my sermon Wednesday night in Fort Worth, I have closed with this sermon many times now in the 20s. Revelation 19, Jesus, the conquering king. When we come to the end of the message, which I think is the climactic portrait of the book, Jesus rides on the white horse. There’s no question about his identity, because it says, and I saw heaven opened. And behold, a white horse. There it is again. And he who sat upon it is called faithful and true. And if you’re unsure who that is, my version capitalizes the words faithful and true, telling us that they think it’s Jesus.

And in righteousness, he judges and wages war. And his eyes are like a flame of fire. Oh, immediately, if you’ve read chapter 1, you go back to the image of Jesus, the first and the last that you’ve already seen. And upon his head, notice this, are many diadems. And he has a name written upon him, which no one knows except himself, and that’s really saying that he has a name that is above all names. Philippians 2 and verse 9. And he is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. Oh, that sounds like John 1, doesn’t it? John was John is saying here in Revelation 19, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses.

And from his mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it he may smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, and he treads the wine press, rhine press of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty, and on his robe and on his thighs, he has a name written. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So you don’t have to worry anymore about the threats and concerns that you are facing, because Jesus rides on the white horse. And so contextually, seeing Jesus as the rider of the white horse in the first seal works because if it is indeed the victorious course of the gospel, it naturally would be that opposition would follow. As we see in horses 2, 3, and 4, some very negative and unpleasant things unfold in seals 2, 3, and 4.

Famine, economic troubles, martyrdom. Hendrickson observes in his commentary, more than conquerors, and this is a good point, even if you don’t agree with the view that he takes. Whenever Christ appears, Satan becomes busy. Trials are in store for God’s children. McGwigan, another commentary on the book of Revelation that I think of very highly, flatly contends. The rider on the white horse is Jesus. No bones about it. The rider on the white horse is Jesus. He opens the whole affair because he is in control of the whole affair. It is also written to comfort the saints. Whatever follows this rider should be of no lasting concern. The Lamb is a conqueror. And he answers Ray Summers, who also has a commentary of the book of Revelation, who says that he has a problem with Jesus being the rider on the white horse because that would mean he’s changing costumes.

Here he is taking the book and opening the first seal, and he’s not the one who opens the seal, but now he’s actually the rider on the first horse in regard to these seals. But McWiggin answers that. It’s basically it’s apocalyptic literature, and God could do whatever he wants. Haley agrees, Homer Haley agrees in his commentary, which is also a noteworthy commentary, and references the promise of Zachariah 10 in verse 3 that Judah would be his majestic horse in battle. Well, but that’s Judah. And here, supposedly, this is Jesus. And Haley goes on to further assert that white is the festive color of victory. White horses were used by conquerors in celebration of their victories. Hendrickson agrees that the color white speaks of that which is holy and heavenly.

And we see in the book of Revelation such things, and these are all positive. White garments, white cloud, white throne, white stone, white linen. Would be under white garments. And then also the victor’s crown. The crown that this rider is wearing is the Stephanos, which is the victor’s wreath. Now, in Revelation chapter 19, the crown that Jesus is wearing has many diadems. A little bit different crown than what we see here in Revelation chapter 6. And as a subsidiary of this view, Art Ogden in his commentary, he’s a brother in the Lord, suggests that this horse and rider do not represent Christ specifically, but represents the development of the kingdom which sparks great opposition. So that’s the argument for Jesus. It has some things to recommend it.

2. An Alternative View: Opposition to God's Cause

Some brethren that I respect believe that Jesus is the rider on the white horse in the first seal. However, there is an alternative view. And there is an argument that can be made for righteous opposition. As I mentioned Summers a minute ago, and brethren like his commentary as much as they do Brother Haley. Thinks it’s objectionable that Jesus rips off the seal, and as it were, he changes costume and becomes the rider of the white horse. Now, we say, but what about that picture we just read in Revelation 19? Remember, the initial readers are getting this and reading it from beginning to end. And when they read Revelation 6, 1 and 2 for the first time, they’ve not read Revelation 19 yet. They would not have immediately jumped to the portrait that comes later and made connections, though there may be connections, as we’ve already seen, there’s an argument that can be made.

And while this writer goes out to conquer, and that makes us think of the conquering king, evil forces in the book of Revelation go out and they conquer also. If you look later in Revelation chapter 11 and verse 7, when this opposition is being described, the beast that comes out up out of the abyss, and this is not a friend but a foe, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them and overcome them and kill them. And later, when the sea beast is described in chapter 13 and verse 7 to verse 7, it says of him, it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

So within the scope of all these pictures that are being drawn, there are others besides Jesus who do some conquering, who do some waging war. And the rider here in the first seal is not equipped with a sword that comes out of his mouth, which reminds us of the two-edged sword to which the word of God is likened in Hebrews 4 and verse 12, and Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 17. But this little nuance is found in the first seal, the rider on this horse has a bow. The more I thought about this, the more I am confused. If indeed it is Jesus riding on the white horse. There’s nowhere else, and nowhere else in the book of Revelation where Jesus riding on the white horse has a bow, a sword, but not a bow.

There’s some Old Testament references to God coming in judgment upon his enemies with a bow. Habakkuk 3, verses 8 and 9, Psalm 7 and verse 12, or his arrows in Psalm 45 and verse 5. But the bow was often identified with Parthian oppression. Oppressors from the east who were proficient with bows. Furthermore, the Parthians were noted for riding on white horses, and they were an object of terror and fear. And he speaks of invasion from the east. In the book of Revelation, not once, but at least twice.

Because these four horses seem to be working in concert, seem to follow in sequence one to the other. And the last in the series seems to be the epitome of all the others. We see this one going out to conquer. We see the problems of famine and invasion, and then finally the death that results in the fourth seal. And so the question that’s raised about the four horses and the first four seals is Jesus introduced, or the righteous cause introduced, and now you have all of this negativity that follows in Seals 2, 3, and 4, or is it all a sequence? As those who are opponents to Jesus’ cause are represented as conquerors, and then all the negative things that flow out of that in Seals 2, 3, and 4.

Cared in his commentary suggests that what the first seal represents is invasion, oppression of God’s enemies. And I was contacted as a result of my post on Facebook by a gospel preacher in Tennessee. He’s a good friend of mine who says he opts for this view. And he told me about another preacher who is also an educator at Florida College, who also holds this view that it is not Jesus who is the rider on the white horse. And if you think about this, have there not always been those who want to usurp and want to conquer and to defeat God’s cause, and they oppose him fiercely. And I thought of Isaiah chapter 14, and we struggle with this verse, do we not? Lucifer, Son of the Morning.

And immediately people reference the devil, they’re not talking about the devil, but in the context, it’s the king of Babylon. In Isaiah 14, who regards himself as a God, as the light bringer to the world. In 2 Peter chapter 1, of course, Jesus is the true day star. He is the true light bringer. He is the true Lucifer that brings illumination to men. And so, the rider on the white horse could represent, as my Bible clearly says, when you look at the headings in Revelation chapter 6 at the top, it says, false Christ. They assert that it is not Jesus who is the rider on the first horse, but as somebody who tries to conquer for their own purposes and stands opposed to the message of the gospel, perhaps like a false messiah.

So this could represent false teaching and powers that attempt to eradicate or undermine faith and all that the devil is up to in an ultimately failed attempt to defeat Jesus cause.

3. Do Not Allow Undetermined Details to Affect the Message

That’s the two views. And so I get to say all of that to say tonight. Are you ready for this? I don’t know. I don’t know. I can argue it both ways as I just did. And I’m not absolutely sure. I’m leaning one way more than the other. In fact, when I was teaching it a few Monday nights ago, I first started off saying it was this view. Then I went back to the Jesus view, and then I went back to the other view, and I got to tell you, this is perplexing. Can argue it both ways. And so I want to make some observations about this point in Scripture, the seal. And I just want to say to you simply tonight this important truth. Do not allow undetermined details in the scripture to affect the overall message that we’re given.

I know we have a lot of answers for a lot of things. Somebody says, what does a person need to do to be saved? I can tell you what the Bible says with 100% confidence. This is God’s plan of salvation, and most of the religious world teaches error. And I can be confident about what the Bible teaches. I’m absolutely certain of baptism’s role in God’s plan to save men by grace through faith. I’m absolutely confident that it is necessary. I’m absolutely confident that the New Testament does not authorize instrumental music for worship. More and more people are not as confident about that, but I’m still 100% confident about that. And there’s a lot of things that I’m really confident about in regard to the Scripture. But we don’t have to be certain about everything.

And there are some parts of Scripture where we’re going to have question marks rather than confident answers. But while Revelation chapter 6, verses 1 and 2 and the identity of the first writer of the first seal, I may have question marks about that. All truth is not cloudy and difficult. Some truth is. But all truth is not. And we can know that the truth, we can know the truth that makes free. Jesus wouldn’t say, if you abide in my word, then you are disciples of mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free if it was not possible to arrive at truth. If it was not possible to know the truth that makes free.

4. Baptism for the Dead: What I Do Know

About the fact that I talked about 1 Corinthians 15 and the implications of the resurrection, and I talked about a good portion of 1 Corinthians 15, and yet I completely skipped over verse 29. I did not do that intentionally, but I certainly didn’t have time, nor did I want to get misdirected in that lesson by talking about a very difficult verse in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 29, where Paul says, and he’s this is in the context of Jesus is raised from the dead, thus we will be raised. He says, otherwise, what will those do are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? And people go, what in the world is Paul? Is he saying that somebody’s fate could be sealed negatively?

And someone who is still alive could be baptized for them, and their state could then change from being lost to being saved. Is that what he’s saying? Well, I don’t think so. And I say that because if that were the case, what are we doing listening to me preach for 30 minutes? Let’s have a baptismal ceremony. Everybody gets to be baptized for somebody who has already died and is in a lost condition. Let’s get busy. We’ll be baptizing as many days of the week as we can. And I’ll tell you what else. This is not consistent. That Paul would speak approvingly of this practice, and there’s no evidence that he is, whatever the practice is that he’s describing, and that’s a big question mark. There is no evidence that Paul is speaking approvingly of such a practice where we could be baptized for someone who has already died and thus save them.

In fact, everything the Bible teaches suggests that our time of opportunity is now while we’re alive. And there is emphasis in the parable of the foolish virgins of Matthew 25, who were not prepared when the bridegroom came, and it says the door was shut. There was no second opportunity given to them. And if there are second opportunities for the dead, why didn’t Jesus talk about that in the story of the rich man and Lazarus? That’s interesting. The rich man is lost. He doesn’t want his brothers coming to this place, send somebody back. He doesn’t even appeal for himself. Hey, could you have somebody be baptized for me? There’s not any appeal like that. He knows his condition is hopeless and cannot be fixed. And so such an interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15 would cause the scripture to come in conflict with itself.

Now, the practice to which Paul is referring, I don’t know what it was. And if it’s something like I just described, being able to be baptized for someone who is dead, he is not using illustration approvingly. But while I have some question marks, and I’ll tell you, I’ve heard brethren at least give six different possibilities as to what this passage is saying. And Jared’s laughing. He’s heard. All these different possibilities. I hear a new one all the time. I thought there was only a few, and I keep hearing a new one about what Paul’s talking about, 1 Corinthians 15, 29. I don’t know the answer to that either. But you know what I do know? Whatever the practice was of baptism for the dead, think about it.

If Jesus Christ has not been raised, and that’s his point in 1 Corinthians 15. If Jesus Christ has not been raised, what in the world would you be doing to be baptized for anyone? Because the whole point of baptism is what? You rise to walk in newness of life based on the resurrection of Jesus. The whole point of baptism would be remit, would be rendered meaningless if Jesus is not raised. So whatever he’s referring to, we may not have that information. We may never understand completely what he was referring to, though his first entry audience knew. The point that he’s making, we can know baptism as we understand it, is meaningless if Jesus is not raised. Well, I’m not the only one that observed the Passover.

5. The Spirits in Prison: Not a Second Chance

I heard Scott didn’t deal with 1 Peter chapter 3, verses 18 through 20 in his one night study of 1 and 2 Peter. Well, okay, that’s a lot of material for one class. You didn’t talk, Scott, about the spirits in prison to which Jesus made proclamation. Well, it’s really the same argument at 1 Corinthians chapter 15. You mean when Jesus died and he went to Hades, the realm of departed spirits, that sometime in that period Jesus went back. And it seems that maybe that’s what the text is saying. Jesus went back and made a proclamation to those spirits who were disobedient in the days of Noah. A couple of big red flags here. Number one, could that change their state from lost to saved? I don’t think so.

And secondly, why just those disobedient people? Why not the disobedient people of other times in the past? Why didn’t he go and make proclamation to them? Or perhaps this is all very figurative. And the proclamation that was actually made to them was while they were alive, and it was Noah who made the proclamation as a representative of Christ who preached Christ or preached righteousness to them, 2 Peter 2 and verse 5, and now they are spirits in prison because they rejected that message that was delivered to them. Well, I may not be able to ascertain for sure what 1 Peter 3 and verses 18 through 20 are talking about, but I know from other passages of Scripture that it’s not a second chance after one has died.

What do you get the point?

6. Focus on the Big Picture

Sometimes if we don’t have all the answers that we would like, and some of the details we cannot say with certainty. We need to focus on the big picture and not get discouraged by the details that we may not be able to provide the answers that we would like. What’s really the message of the book of Revelation, and really the message of the entire scripture? Don’t miss that. Because of a focus on the details. You need Jesus as your ally and not your enemy. Because I tell you, whoever the writer is in the first seal, there’s no question about who the writer is in chapter 19. And he is King of Kings, and he is Lord of Lords. And that’s why we’re here today. Because Jesus is indeed King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and all of his enemies are going to be cast into the lake of fire that burns with fire and brimstone and burns forever and ever.

And you don’t want to be his enemy. As we’ll see in the book of James. Friendship with the world is hostility toward God. You do not want to be his enemy. And what the Gamaliel say, some of our young people can tell you what Gamaliel said. If you oppose this thing, and if it is of God, you will be found waging war or fighting against God. And even Gamaliel understood, though he didn’t like this message. He understood that if this thing is of God, you better not oppose it, or else you will find yourself fighting against God. For many walk. Paul said in Philippians chapter 3, who are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

Conclusion

Not so of us. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly await for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so this message concludes with the big picture. Whose side are you on?

Are you an ally of the risen king? And are you sure? The Laodiceans thought they were on the right side. We’re rich and increase with goods and have need of nothing. Everything is fine and dandy in our relationship with God. But Jesus’ assessment of that was not good. Neither cold nor hot, lukewarm. You don’t repent, I’m going to spew you out of my mouth, is his message. You know, I’d like to be able to get up here and say, we are all ready to meet the Lord. Everyone is ready to stand before the Lord on the last day. After all, we made two services on the Lord’s Day, and a lot of people don’t do that. You ready? A wonderful Laodiceans attended all the services. In what condition is our heart?

And maybe it should be said this way in what condition is your heart? Really, my assessment is limited. I only see you for a few hours every week, and that’s all you see me. The Lord sees us 24 7. And what is his assessment of you? Does he see you as an ally and a friend? Or does he see you as an enemy? Whose God is their appetite, whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. Like the Laodiceans were doing. So this lesson concludes with you considering the status of your heart. And whether you need to make amends. Choose a better path. Forsake the sin that has beset you, perhaps in recent days. Clothe yourself with fine linen so that we will walk with the Lord in life.

You need your garments cleansed to walk with him. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, or clothed yourselves with Christ, put on his garments. And we encourage you to do so while there’s time and opportunity. Let’s stand and sing.