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In this series, we will examine the much-discussed, but little-understood, identity of the "Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse." In Revelation 6, four mysterious horses are described—white,
red, black and pale—each with its own rider, and coming in sequence, as four seals that
are—at points in time—opened one after another. What are these? Who are they? When
do they come? None seem to recognize that Jesus had already revealed to His disciples
the prophetic meaning of these horses and riders. You will see where He did this and
exactly what He said. We also ask: Are these first four seals of
Revelation still sealed, or have they been unsealed? Are they now in effect?—are the
horses and riders at work today? With so much at stake, because of the unparalleled destruction
they are foretold to unleash, we must understand their true—and truly horrific—meaning.
What you will hear is in-depth—and what no one else is telling you. The truth is chilling
beyond imagination.
The World to Come. The Restored Church of God presents David C. Pack. Author of 80 books
and booklets. Editor-in-chief of The Real Truth magazine. Read by countless and growing
numbers in every nation and territory of the world. In a violent age full of bad news.
Answering life’s greatest questions straight from the Bible, and announcing the wonderful
good news of the World to Come. And now, David C. Pack.
For 2,000 years, millions have sought to understand the so-called "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
Much written about, and seen in Hollywood films, none grasp their true significance.
Religionists have crafted their own explanations, but have all ignored important clues in properly
understanding what these symbolize. As with most of Bible prophecy, this is because they
have not understood the keys to God's Word. Therefore, the world sees the Apocalypse as
a mystic, cryptic message of doom! The goal of this series is to remove all doubt
about the identity of these horses and riders, and what they have to do with the world—and
you. This is not a series where you will want to miss even one part!
One full third of the Bible is prophecy—history written before it happens! What is the truth
about prophecy? What does the Bible really say about events preceding Jesus Christ's
Return? His disciples wanted to know, and asked Him, "What shall be the sign of Your
coming, and of the end of the world [or age]?" Sobering world conditions make this question
larger than ever. Nothing that has occurred over the past 6,000 years even remotely compares
to what is yet to come upon this world—and soon!
World trouble is foretold to greatly increase—intensifying to staggering proportions. This will be followed
by unexpected and cataclysmic events that will shake the entire world! Civilization
as we know it will change forever. God has not left mankind without a source
of answers that reveals in detail what lies ahead. Tragically, believing things will eventually
"turn out alright," many hide their eyes—like ostriches they bury their heads in the sand,
ignore God's words, and choose to pursue pleasure and the accumulation of material goods. But
for the short term, things will not turn out alright. World conditions are—and will become—far
more serious than any could realize. God understands human nature and where it
always leads when left to its own devices. This allows Him to know, and to guide, the
awesome future events to occur from now on! It has become God's time to reveal what lies
ahead. The stage is set, and He has lifted the curtain on the future. This world must
be warned while there is still time! And so must you be warned. Events are building to
a final culmination—a tremendous climax! Revelation describes soon-coming terrible
plagues and world-shattering events! If you take heed, you can escape them.
Crucial background about the book of Revelation is necessary to understand the Four Horsemen.
You have no hope of comprehending these different colored horses without the proper foundation—a
foundation that others do not know how to lay, and would not believe to be necessary.
Follow carefully the thread of this introductory broadcast.
Most believe that Revelation is sealed, closed from understanding. It has been called a mystery
book without meaning. Yet it is a large book of important—vital—meaning. It is filled
with answers. You will be fascinated by what can be known about the Four Horsemen—if
you have the necessary keys! So what then is the truth about the four horses
and riders of Revelation 6? Understanding begins with identifying the
true author of Revelation—and knowing the critically important theme—the centerpiece
of the book—is vital. Without these keys, many have bogged down into silly arguments
such as whether "the Lord's Day" of chapter 1, verse 10 refers to Sunday.
Why does almost everyone refer to this book as "The Revelation of St. John the Divine"?
Nowhere does it refer to John as either divine or the Revelator.
Notice: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants
things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto
His servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ,
and of all things that he [John] saw." Did you notice that the book of Revelation
contains Jesus Christ's words, as the Revelator, not John's? John was merely a scribe—a kind
of secretary taking dictation. John merely recorded these events, preserving them for
the servants of Christ—His end-time Church. So, it came from the Father to Christ to an
angel to John, and finally to Jesus' servants—and no one else.
A side point—but one that is very important: In this series, we are also necessarily examining
whether Jesus' prophecies were accurate about events preceding His Return—or merely a
jumbled hodgepodge of human imagination, possibly put on His lips by others—perhaps even by
John himself? If so, we must admit that at least part of the Bible is not worth the paper
it is written on—and if this is the case, how would God expect the reader to know which
is true and which is false. If Christ's prophecies are false, then He is false and every Christian
ought to pick another religion because Christianity is the wrong one!
Let's now understand more about Revelation. This awesome picture of future events was
sealed with seven separate seals. Now understand another key point: The seven seals in God's
hand essentially span all but the last two chapters of the book! They are opened one
by one, in sequence. Each reveals future events—things that will happen before they happen. In chapter
5, verse 5, only Jesus Christ is deemed qualified to remove the seven seals and open the book
to understanding. The first four seals are represented by four
riders, on four different-colored horses. These "four horsemen of the Apocalypse," as
they are commonly referred to, are viewed as mysterious, unexplained horrors to be unleashed
upon the world without warning. To more easily understand the first seal of
Revelation 6:2—the white horse and rider—we must only accept a basic fact. It has to do
with the Greek word apocalypse that is translated "revelation." The English equivalent means
to reveal—not conceal, hide, veil or close up. The dictionary definition of revelation
is easy: "The act of revealing or disclosing; something revealed, especially a dramatic
disclosure of something not previously known or realized."
John recorded Christ's words, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ...to show unto His servants
things which must shortly come to pass." Near the book's end, it states, "Seal not the sayings
of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand."
Comprehend these words. The time for understanding Revelation is now at hand! So then, God wants
the Four Horsemen and riders understood. For more on the subject of Revelation, and other
topics within it, read our comprehensive booklet Revelation Explained At Last!
God reveals a basic framework for understanding future events. This framework is primarily
laid out in Daniel and Revelation. Daniel—recorded over 600 years earlier—sets the stage for
the larger and more detailed book of Revelation, which describes many events found nowhere
else in the Bible. Recognize that sometimes God chooses to use
common experiences or activities in His Word as symbols or analogies. This is done to help
human minds comprehend what is being described. God's selection of analogy makes the symbolism
easier to understand—especially in this case for those who have ridden horses.
I have many times, in many situations, and at virtually every speed, starting as a child
on a pony walking slowly in a circle at the county fair. I have sat on horses at a standstill.
I have ridden them at a walk, a trot and a canter, as well as at a gallop, and at a full
run, flat-out across a field with my head down beside the horse's mane.
As we turn to the subject of the Revelation horses (with horsemen), fix in your mind this
animal's physical prowess, and bear in mind that for much of history, including the age
of the writing of the New Testament, horses were man's preferred means of transportation—for
travel, communication and, in the case of armies, invasion and conquest. Only in the
20th century would—and even could—this defining picture of a man riding a horse toward
a particular destination and purpose not be so easily understood.
The World to Come will continue after this brief message. Discover more from David C.
Pack! Visit our website worldtocome.org. See The World to Come broadcasts, read and order
books, booklets and articles, all free of charge. To continue learning about the topics
covered in this broadcast, visit worldtocome.org today! Now back to David C. Pack.
John described what he saw as Christ began to remove the seals. What he recorded is written
in symbols, not plain language. It is impossible to understand these symbols by merely re-reading
Revelation 6 over and over until their correct meaning sort of "pops into your head."
Now let's read a picture of the first horse and rider: "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 first horseman's identity has been almost universally misunderstood. You must see this!
The rider of the white horse is not who most think he is. Religionists and so-called prophecy
experts have invented numerous theories about what the rider of Revelation 6:2 depicts.
Some think he pictures Christ's servants announcing His Second Coming. Others believe the white
horse represents "the Church," generally. This could not be the case since God's true
Church never went forth to conquer and subdue nations. These and all other human interpretations
are wrong. Note that God's Church is represented by a woman, described throughout Revelation
12, who nurtures those whom God calls. (To learn the identity, and history, of God's
Church, read this book, Where Is the True Church?—and Its Incredible History!)
Many Bible commentaries, referring to Revelation 19, which portrays Jesus Christ returning
on a white horse, hastily conclude that the Revelation 6 rider also must be Christ.
Subtle, and not so subtle but overlooked, differences will be seen to be very important.
Notice Revelation 19: "I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse [again]; and He that
sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He does judge and make
war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a
name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in
blood: and His name is called The Word of God...And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword,
that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron:
and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
Clearly this is the true Jesus Christ. No one doubts this much.
Of course, there are similarities between the descriptions. Both riders are astride
a white horse. Both are wearing a crown or many crowns, and they both conquer and rule.
But there are subtle differences. These differences set up everything that follows in the rest
of this and the next two broadcasts about the white horse. The Revelation 6 horseman
wears "a single crown," whereas Jesus Christ wears "many crowns."
Another crucial difference. The Christ in Revelation 19 brandishes a sword out of His
mouth, not a bow in his hand, as in Revelation 6. Revelation 1:16 similarly depicts the true
Jesus Christ as having a "sharp, two-edged sword." This sword, symbolically, is His Word,
the Bible (read both Hebrews 4:12 and Ephesians 6:17). In Revelation 19, Jesus comes reproving
nations with His Word, while the Revelation 6 horseman comes with another source of power,
represented by a bow. Get this! Even if we did not know the meaning of the bow, it could
clearly not be the Word of God—a "two-edged sword"—or it would not be identified differently.
And nowhere in the Bible is God's Word referred to as a bow.
Briefly, the presence of a bow connects the rider of this horse to the ancient patriarch
of false religion, ***—described as a "mighty hunter" in Genesis 10. ***, whose
name means "rebellion," founded the city of Babylon (meaning "confusion"). This city eventually
grew into the capital of the Babylonian Empire, the seat of the Babylonian Mystery religion,
referenced a number of times in Scripture. Notice this eye-opening quote straight from
history: "Kronos was the first King of Babylon, or ***; consequently, the first Centaur
was the same. Now, the way in which the Centaur was represented on the Babylonian coins, and
in the Zodiac…is very striking. The Centaur was the same as the sign Sagittarius, or 'The
Archer.' If the founder of Babylon's glory was 'The mighty Hunter,' whose name, even
in the days of Moses, was a proverb—(Gen 10:9, 'Wherefore, it is said, Even as ***,
the mighty hunter before the Lord')—when we find the 'Archer' with his bow and arrow,
in the symbol of the supreme Babylonian divinity, and the 'Archer,' among the signs of the Zodiac
that originated in Babylon, I think we may safely conclude that this Man-horse or Horse-man
Archer primarily referred to him [***], and was intended to perpetuate the memory
at once of his fame as a huntsman and his skill as a horse-breaker."
Now back to Revelation 6 and 19. The sequence of events in both chapters is also revealing.
As the First Seal is opened, the Revelation 6 white horse is unleashed at the beginning
of a series of end-time events. It is followed by the remaining seals leading up to the Great
Tribulation. Then, as the Seventh Seal is opened—long after the first—the second
white horse and its rider (Jesus Christ) appear. This is the Return of Christ to Earth and
describes His victory over those who attempt to oppose His triumphal Return. The horsemen
of Revelation 6 and 19 represent opposite ends of this spectrum of time. These could
not describe the same event. The riders plainly arrive years apart.
So then, these are different riders on different horses at different points in time!
A vital distinction must be made at this point. The rider of the Revelation 6 white horse
does not represent all false religion. This First Seal does not encompass belief systems
such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Dao and others. What the rider does represent is a
counterfeit Christianity—and a counterfeit Christ. This is obviously the other Jesus
that the apostle Paul warned about. Let's read what few ever notice, and even fewer
worry about: "For if he that comes [wrote Paul] preaches another Jesus, whom we have
not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel,
which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him."
Anything that passes as a counterfeit must seem authentic. Counterfeit money is designed
to closely resemble real currency. Any differences are very subtle, else the user is not fooled.
The closer the look-alike, on the surface—meaning to the superficial observer—the greater
chance that the counterfeit will be accepted. In the same way, the counterfeit of the true
Church has to seem real. It appears "spiritual" and thoroughly organized. It seems to be well-established,
with centuries-old "roots" supposedly reaching back to the original apostles. To the undiscerning,
this "Jesus" and his teachings look, sound, feel and seem like the genuine article. But
they are not the Christianity of the Bible—the one taught by the true Jesus Christ.
We will see that this false religious system is a counterfeit of God's true Church!
Consider. Everyone hates having been deceived, especially by those they have known and trusted.
You have probably experienced this. In every case, it is painful, and disillusioning. The
shock of betrayal can shake one to the core of his being.
Place yourself in this situation. Now imagine those who have lied to you are widely considered
to be people of "truth." then imagine that what you trusted them with were the most important
things in life. We have just summarized the work of all forms of false religion, specifically
here false Christianity. Almost immediately after Jesus founded His
Church, Satan devised a counterfeit to keep the masses unaware of the message the true
Church was proclaiming after Jesus' death. Let’s read: "The god of this world [the
devil] has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
Satan's purpose has been to deceive mankind about God's truth, and he has done this through
his counterfeit religious system, masquerading as true Christianity. Notice this warning
from Jesus: "Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men." How many
worry about this? The answer, sadly, is very few.
Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 together comprise what is commonly called "The Olivet Prophecy,"
because Jesus delivered it while sitting with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. Answering
their question about the sign of His coming and the end of the age, Jesus first warned
of religious deception in the sequence of what would occur. The events He describes
require no interpretation. In fact, you will see that they are Christ's interpretation
of Revelation 6 and the white horse there. By having them in mind as we read the opening
of the remaining seals through the series, we have Christ telling us in advance what
we are viewing—and what the symbols mean. All mystery is stripped away.
Jesus foretold the confusion and misunderstanding that would surround the white horse rider's
identity! He disclosed events that would occur just prior to His Second Coming. The first
event was the First Seal, synonymous with the white horse.
Now let's look at this all-important part of Jesus' Olivet Prophecy to set a larger
stage: "Take heed that no man deceive you [Christ said]. For many shall come in My name,
saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." To appreciate the next portion of this broadcast,
something must be said now about the other three horses and riders. After Christ's warning
about deception in verses 4 and 5, He went on in Matthew 24 to immediately warn of war,
famine and pestilence—plus earthquakes—and in this order. These are easily seen—by
any reader—to be the exact same thing as the second, third and fourth seals of Revelation
6—and again in the same order. Simple reading of Revelation 6 thunders this message. While
we will look at the other seals in much greater detail later in the series, this much must
be understood now. Christ the Revelator told His disciples both the order and meaning of
the seals long before John recorded the Revelation. You must understand this—you will see that
the rest of the series will remove all doubt. Back to Jesus' warning of deception. The "many"
that He referenced coming in His name are the vast majority of thought-to-be Christian
ministers who say that Jesus Christ is Christ (the Messiah), but who do not believe or teach
what Christ taught, nor do they come with His authority. They teach doctrines of men—while
starting with the message that does acknowledge Christ for who He was.
Later in Matthew 24, Jesus expanded upon coming deception. Notice: "And many false prophets
shall rise, and shall deceive many." According to this and surrounding prophecies, not only
would false prophets arise to deceive the great majority, but they would also infiltrate
the true Church, causing many of God's servants to fall away.
Toward the end of the last days, and especially during the time of the prophesied false religious
leader of Revelation 13, false prophets were foretold to increase in number and means of
deception. Here is Christ's chilling warning—"For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before."
Here Jesus shows that false prophets will even work miracles. Human beings are always
impressed by such "signs and wonders," not worrying much about their source, and only
too happy to attribute the power of the performer to God.
Matthew 24 also mirrors the time sequence of the two riders of the white horses. The
true Christ does not return (as shown in Revelation 19) until the time of the seventh and last
trumpet (verses 27 to 31 in Matthew 24). The same Jesus Christ would not give two different
versions of what happens immediately prior to His Return. He would not tell one thing
to His disciples of the first century, and an entirely different explanation to His servants
of the twenty-first century! It is crucial to understand that only now,
after 2,000 years, can Revelation be opened to plain understanding for all who will heed.
The words have always been there, but their meaning has been overlooked.
Comprehend what you have already learned! In effect, Christ has given an advance newscast
of events now lying just ahead. For those with "ears to hear," a term Jesus used constantly,
He revealed in plain language the true meaning of the Revelation 6 symbols of horses and
riders. Understanding the last sentence is the single
biggest key to understanding the Four Horsemen of Revelation!
Be sure to watch Part 2 in this crucial series revealing the truth of the White Horse of
Revelation. Until next time, this is David C. Pack saying,
"Goodbye, friends."
This program was made available by Restored Church of God members and donors from around
the globe. Explore our vast library of literature and other World to Come programs, which are
all made available free of charge. To order literature featured in this program, call
toll-free 1-855-828-4646. That number again: 1-855-828-4646.
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