The Great Whore's Execution

“The Great Whore's Execution” 

REVELATION 17:14-18

THEME: In highly metaphorical language the filthy religious prostitute and her judgment by the Lord Jesus are described. Be assured that God hears the prayers of his persecuted, justice is a divine priority, and martyrs will eventually be vindicated. 

INTRODUCTION: 

John describes the Lamb’s phased and progressive victory over "the beast" and his kingdom. Here the religious system is destroyed; then later the political and economic systems fall also (Rev 18). Afterwards, the Lord Jesus returns to earth; condemns Satan, "the beast" and the false prophet (Rev 19:19-20); and then establishes His kingdom.

Likewise, every age has featured a "Babylon," a rebellious political and economic system that has sought to control people’s minds and destinies. Just as the contrast to the "whore" is the pure bride, so the contrast to "Babylon" is the City of God, the New Jerusalem, the eternal home prepared for the Lamb’s wife (Rev 21:9). Each generation of believers must keep itself pure from the pollution of both the "whore" and "Babylon."

In these two chapters, John prophesies two divine judgments. In Revelation 17 and 18 John revisits that destruction and deals in detail with the fall of Babylon.

MESSAGE:

III. The Great Whore Executed (Rev. 17:14-18)

 The scarlet woman is both a religious system and a city (Rev. 17:18) which will “ride the beast” for a while. However, in the days when John’s prophecy will be fulfilled, an amazing thing will happen: "the harlot" will be made desolate by the very system that carried her!

A.  HER EXCLUSION BY ANTI-CHRIST (Rev. 17:16) 

    1. Finally, when the worship of the Beast is set in place (Rev. 13:4, 14, 15).

    2.  The coalition of kings “these will hate the whore” will resist her choke-hold on their freedom and finances and react with vengeance.

    3.  These kings will destroy the woman but will themselves be destroyed by the Lamb (Rev. 17:14-18). 

QUOTE: “It is important to note that "the beast" carries "the harlot" Satan (and Antichrist) will use the apostate religious system to accomplish his own ends (i.e., attain world power); but then he will do away with "the harlot" and establish his own religious system. And all of this will be the fulfillment of God's Word (Rev 17:17).

Since "the beast" sets up his image in the temple about the middle of the Tribulation, we can assume that "the harlot" and "the beast" work together during those first three-and-a half years. This is corroborated by the fact that the ten kings assist him in desolating "the harlot" (Rev 17:16). These are the same ten kings associated with "the beast" when he sets up the "United States of Europe" during the first half of the Tribulation.”  —W. W. Wiersbe

B.  HER ELIMINATION BY THE BEAST (Rev. 17:16)

Their antagonism to Christ will drive these 10 kings to war against Him but they will be soundly defeated (v. 14) by the Lamb—the Lord of lords and King of kings (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 19:16). They will meet their demise in this battle.

    1.  After using the false religious system to unify the world kingdoms and gain control of all, the Antichrist—with the help of his 10 sub-rulers—will turn against the system, plunder and destroy it, and seize all power and worship for himself.

QUOTE: “Throughout history, political systems have "used" religious bodies to further their political causes. At the same time, church history reveals that religious groups have used politics to achieve their purposes. The marriage of church and state is not a happy one, and has often spawned children that have created serious problems. When dictators are friendly with religion, it is usually a sign that they want to make use of religion's influence and then destroy it. The church of Jesus Christ has been most influential in the world when it has maintained a separated position.

Compare the description of "the harlot's" desolation with that of the death of Jezebel (2 Kings 9:30-37).”     —W. W. Wiersbe

    2.  The vivid picture of evil that the angel showed John -- Beast, kings, Whore -- also displays the destructive nature of selfishness. Past and future kings give their authority and power to the Beast with greedy desire for even greater power. The whore depends (sits on) the Beast. The Beast, the kings, and the whore are allies until the Beast and kings turn on the whore and betray, humiliate, sacrifice, and consume her. Faced with doom, they turn on each other.

    3. Evil proves to be vicious and destructive. It hates everything good that God has made. Evil people may profess values such as loyalty and unity, but in the end, they will destroy their allies to preserve themselves.

    4. Compromises and alliances with evil, to accomplish a "greater good," also prove to be deceptions. Satan uses an effective tactic. He tried it with Jesus himself (Matt 4:1-11) by tempting him to use his power to make a "shortcut" to a good goal. The temptations were real. Jesus could have gained the whole world in a moment, but he would have also abandoned God's plan. Christians face the same kinds of temptations today.

     5.  But "good ends" accomplished by evil means serve Satan, not Christ. Only what we do for Christ and by his power will last.

C.  HER EXECUTION BY GOD.   (Rev. 17:14-15, 17)

 United, they will gather to make war with the Lamb, seeking to prevent Him from setting up His universal messianic kingdom (Rev. 19:19). Armageddon decides their awful fate.

    1.  The Place is Armageddon.

        A.  The kingdom of Antichrist will “make war.”

        B.  A reference to the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:14–16).

        C.  This is where the Lamb will utterly destroy the 10 kings (Rev. 19:17–21).

    2.  The Person is Christ, Jesus the Lord.

“The Lamb,” “Lord of lords and King of kings.” A title for God (Rev. 19:16; 1 Tim. 6:15; Deut. 10:17; Ps. 136:3) that emphasizes His sovereignty over all other rulers to whom He has delegated authority.  The Lamb will overcome and be victorious! 

    3. The People with Him are the Saints of Heaven. (Rev. 17:14)

 The King of kings will bring his chosen ones with him. We will be with Christ then, but we are also with him now. The battle will be won against Satan then, but with Christ in us, we can win the battles against Satan every day.

        A.  If we accept compromise and defeat, we surrender to Satan.

        B.  But if we trust Christ, claim his victory, and live by his power, we can defeat Satan. 

    4.  The Successes of the ‘Whore’ Once Multiplied Globally. (Rev. 17:15)

Rev. 17:1 stated that the woman “sitteth upon many waters.” These “waters” are now interpreted as “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” This indicates that there will be one ecumenical world religious system, embracing all nations and languages.

5. They Will Be Carrying Out God’s Purpose to Condemn Evil (Rev. 17:17).

Gen. 50:20. This is part of God’s sovereign purpose to bring evil leaders into judgment; He has placed it into their hearts to accomplish His purpose by cooperating with the beast to give him their power to rule.

QUOTE: “What do we mean by this expression "the sovereignty of God"? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God. He is the Most High, doing according to his will, so that none can stay his hand, defeat his counsels, or thwart his purpose.”  —  Arthur W. Pink 

CONCLUSION: 

Finally, note that those who trust the Lord are not influenced by "the whore" or defeated by the kings (Rev 17:14). Once again, John points out that the true believers are the "overcomers.”

Satan's counterfeit religion is subtle, requiring spiritual discernment to recognize. It was Paul's great concern that the local churches he founded not be seduced away from their sincere devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:14).

In every age, there is the tremendous pressure to conform to "popular religion" and to abandon the fundamentals of the faith. In these last days, we all need to heed the admonitions in 1 Tim 4 and 2 Tim 3 and remain true to our Lord.

If we merely relegate the previous ideas as futuristic or place them geographically in Europe but fail to recognize the source and magnitude of these compromises, then we have missed the entire message the Lord sought to convey to us down through the ages of the Christian Faith. The religious system is a “whore,” who compromises with political systems around the world to serve Satan’s will of securing devotion to himself alone. A whore is not a wife, and she aggressively enters ‘situationships’ with various countries of the world to gain their power and impact in exchange for her control, constraint, and manipulation. These countries are motivated by greed, exploitation, wealth, affluence, power, and control! They will go to extremes to secure or maintain their strength over the masses of humanity. The “whore” will compromise, fornicate, and alley idolatry to keep and maintain her position of influence. She parades herself as useful, enduring, influential, powerful, worthy, and desirable. She can only offer carnal, worldly, temporal, and elevated enticements afforded by the various countries she already influences. Those political systems get what they want with such ‘payments,’ and manipulation is at the heart of the relationship for them. Any religious system presuming to interact with the ‘whore’ and these ‘kingdoms’ must allow the ‘system’ to control their voices and allegiances…not their beliefs or convictions. That religious component cannot say certain things, must toe the line, must stay in their pre-relegated place, and may give mere half-hearted allegiance to Jesus Christ. If certain issues surface occasionally from religious adherents, they are explained away or deem inconsequential by official sanctions, executive procedures, administrative jargon, and approved policies or laws rooted in governmental allegiance! Thus, the political system supports the great whore’s worship and loyalty to the antichrist, Satan. Many ‘Christian movements’ have been seduced into this type of compromise with governments to continue to enjoy certain political benefits, advantages, perks, and bonuses. Most of us are aware of the ‘unholy marriage of the Church and State!’ However, Jesus Christ calls us to worship God alone without any compromise of our beliefs or convictions that are rooted in the Scriptures. The freedom to which Christ calls us may actually look like bondage in the ‘eyes’ of the sophisticated organizations who punishes anyone for their complete loyalty to Jesus Christ. Beloved, it matters now who you pledge your allegiance to. Antichrist or Jesus Christ…Satan or God. There is no room for compromise.

Consider Why God Speaks

Psalm 81:8–16

Theme: God speaks to us for our benefit and for His delight to advance a relationship with us.

Introduction:

God speaks to us for reasons that are purely His own; He loves us, and He desires to have a relationship with us. Psalm 81 is a deeply moving plea from God to His people to listen to his words, counsel, and instructions (vs. 8, 11, & 13).

Harold Willmington characterized this Psalm in the following way:

Sin spoils the celebration. During one of Israel's regular festivals, Asaph exhorted the people to praise God for his acts of national deliverance (81:1-7). He lamented, however, the people's constant sin, reminding them of the blessings that could have been had they only obeyed (81:8-16; see Matt 23:37; Luke 19:41-42).

Can you hear the sorrow in God's voice as He pleads with His people to listen to Him? And for what purpose?  So that He might bless them! God desires only good for His people.

We can sense what God wants for each of us. Very specifically, He desires that we comprehend His truth about who He is, who we are, and the relationship He wants to have with us. He designs for us to be conformed to His truth applying it to our lives in ways that increasingly transform us into the image of Christ Jesus. Now let us consider each of these individually….

Message:

God Wants Us to Comprehend the Truth

Psalm 25:8-9, Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. [9] The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.   

God Will Teach Us the Truth

God has given to all believers a divine person. The Holy Spirit—who lives within us to help us receive and understand the truth. The Holy Spirit knows perfectly the mind of God, and the Holy Spirit communicates to our spirits the truth God wants us to hear (John 14:26; 1Cor. 2:9-10, 12).

God desires that we know the mind of God. We can never know the mind of God fully because we are finite creatures and He is infinite. But we can grow in our understanding about who God is, how He operates in our world, and why He does the things He does.

For many reasons, we may be limited in our understanding of God's motives and methods. We may not have read all the Bible. To understand the true and full context of any passage of God's Word, we need to understand the true and full context of all God's Word. Also, we may have cultural differences that keep us from understanding fully what certain things in the Bible mean. We may not have the maturity in Christ Jesus that we need to understand deeper layers of meaning. We may be trying to understand the Bible solely with our minds, which is always futile. The Bible is a spiritual book. It speaks to and is applied to the spirit.

None of these reasons, however, are a fixed wall for us. We can grow in our understanding by reading more of God's Word, studying the cultural background of the Bible, gaining more maturity in Christ Jesus, and learning how to read the Bible with spiritual understanding.

Psalm 25:4-5, Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. [5] Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

God Will Teach Us The Truth About Himself

The Lord desires that we know the truth about Him.

Psalm 81:10, I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

    

First, He is our Creator (Genesis 1:27-28, 31). God fashioned us as unique creatures. He made all of the natural world for us to rule and enjoy. He has provided all that we need.

Secondly, He is our life (Genesis 2:7). God breathed into us His breath. We are spirit because God imparted His Spirit to us. We cannot exist apart from God.

Thirdly, He loves us (1 John 4:19). He is continually reaching out to us with affection, calling to us individually by name (Ps. 81:8-10).

God Will Teach Us The Truth About Ourselves

The truth about each of us is twofold:

First, the Holy Spirit convicts us that we are sinners (John 3:16-17). We are born apart from God. The primary message of the Holy Spirit to us as long as we are apart from God is that we need God.

Second, once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit becomes our Comforter and Counselor (1 John 4:15; 2Cor. 5:17).

He speaks hope to us in times of turmoil. He strengthens our faith to trust God for our total sustenance. He gives us the assurance not only of our salvation but also of God's faithfulness and total provision toward us. He reveals to us our nature as God's saints on the earth and challenges us to grow more like Jesus.

As we discover more about ourselves, we usually begin to see others in a new light.

We see our fellow believers as people whom God is also fashioning, forming, and transforming. We see that all people are loved by God, are in need of God, and can have access to God. We become much more inclined to love others unconditionally.

God's truth to us is that we are to love one another (John 15:17; 1 John 4:7, 20).

Sometimes The Lord Will Teach Us Specific Lessons

A Highly Personal Word of Instruction. God not only speaks in general and absolute terms to all people, but He speaks to each one of us personally. We can hardly comprehend that possibility with our finite minds. God is an infinite God, and He is capable of communicating with each one of us, right where we are—in the midst of our current circumstances or crises—in very personal, direct, and explicit terms.

This may be the most important concept you can ever grasp in learning how to listen to God. When God speaks, He is speaking to you. Everything in the Bible can be applied to your life in some way. Every message or communication that is based on the Word of God has truth embedded within it that is for you. There is no such thing as a chapter in the Bible, a sermon based on God's Word, or a book that expounds and explains God's Word that is not for you (2Tim. 3:16, 17). Each of us must take God's Word personally!

Personal Does Not Mean Exclusive.

This is not to say that God has an exclusive word for a person. God doesn't deal in secrets. He won't reveal truth to one person and deny it to another.

Be on guard if you hear somebody say, “God told me something, but He told me I can't tell anybody else,” or “God had a word that's just for me and not for you.” God doesn't play favorites, but He does have intimates. He doesn't speak to one child and totally ignore His other children.

His word of correction to you may be so personal that you don't want to share it with other people, but ultimately, God's word of correction is an absolute that applies to all people. The same goes for God's promises, provisions, and insights.

God Wants Us to Conform to the Truth

It is not enough that we comprehend the truth. We must be conformed to the truth.

The Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

God calls us to present ourselves to Him as if we are a “living sacrifice.” In the Old Testament days, God consumed sacrifices with His holy fire as a sign of His presence among the people.

In our time, God burns out of us with His holy presence everything that is not like Jesus, and then He causes us to burn and to shine brightly with a zeal for living the life Jesus would live if He was walking in our shoes.

Conformity to Jesus

As we read and hear God's Word, we come face-to-face with ourselves, our deficiencies, sins, our errors, our faults. We say again and again, “I'm not like Jesus. But I want to be like Him.” At these times we know that God is truly speaking to us because God always calls us to become more and more like Jesus.

Romans 8:29, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

How do you do this? You say to the Father, “Help me to change. Help me to be more like Jesus.” God has promised that He will show you how to be like Jesus, and He will help you become more like Him.

Being Doers of the Word

Every time you realize that your life doesn't line up perfectly with the truth of God's Word, you have a choice to make—to accept or reject God's way. When you accept God's way and openly say to the Lord, “I'm not like that, but I want to be like that,” He begins to do something inside you. You may find that your tastes are changing. You may become uncomfortable in situations in which you used to feel comfortable. You may have new desires for things that are good, healthful, and wholesome. That's the transforming power of God at work!

James 1:23-25, For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: [24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. [25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

   

Transformation is Always Important

God doesn't speak frivolously. He doesn't joke around. God means what He says. He will do what He says. God is serious about His relationship with you. He doesn't speak to you in idle terms. He expects you to respond to His voice, heed His Word, and act on it.

Can you remember last Sunday's sermon? Can you recall what you read in God's Word yesterday? You'll be able to remember if you were listening for what God had to say to you and if you take seriously the idea that God intends for you to do something in response to His Word.

God speaks for your benefit. He desires for you to listen to Him and then respond to His words. Sometimes He will challenge you to change your thinking or to release certain feelings and opinions that you have been harboring. Sometimes He will command you to change certain aspects of your behavior. Sometimes He desires to encourage you so that you might live your life with greater joy and strength.  

Always, however, God's Word is for your transformation. It is intended to change you in some way.

Psalm 119:9, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Joshua 1:7-8, Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. [8] This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

   

Approach God's Word seriously. Listening to God is not a casual pastime or a let's-try-it-and-see-if-you-like-it activity. Listening to God is the most important thing you can do in your life for your eternal sake.

Conclusion:

God has something to say to you! One of the most important lessons in life that you and I can learn is how to listen to God. In our complex and hectic lives, nothing is more urgent, nothing more necessary, and nothing more rewarding than hearing what God has to say to us—both as a body of believers and as individual people.

If you are going to develop a relationship with another person, you have to converse with that person in some manner. That means both talking and listening. Also remember that God does not speak frivolously. God means what He says. He will do what He says. God is serious about His relationship with you. He expects you to respond to His voice, heed His Word, and act on it.

The First Seal Is Opened: Antichrist Rises To Power

REVELATION 6:1-2

SUBJECT: TRIBULATION SEAL JUDGMENTS

THEME:  The Lamb breaks the first of six seals, sending God's judgments upon the earth.

INTRODUCTION:              

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. 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. (Rev 6:1-2, KJV)

God is long-suffering, but eventually He must judge sin and vindicate His servants.

According to Dan 9:27, seven years are assigned to Israel in God's prophetic calendar.

Daniel 9:27, And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This period begins with the signing of an agreement with the world dictator (the Antichrist), and ending with Christ's return to earth to judge evil and establish His kingdom. It is this period that is described in Rev 6-19. By referring to John's outline (Rev 1), you will see that his description is in three parts:

      — the first three and a half years (Rev 6-9),

      — the events at the middle of the period (Rev 10-14), and

      — the last three and a half years (Rev 15-19).

What is so significant about the middle of the Tribulation? That is when the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and becomes their persecutor instead of their protector (Dan 9:27).

In this section, John recorded the opening of the first four seals; and as each seal was opened, one of the four living creatures summoned a rider on a horse.  In other words, events take place on earth because of the sovereign direction of God in heaven.  The horse imagery is probably related to the vision described in Zech 1:7-17.

Horses represent God's activity on earth, the forces He uses to accomplish His divine purposes. The center of His program is Israel, particularly the city of Jerusalem. (Jerusalem is mentioned thirty-nine times in Zech.) God has a covenant purpose for Israel, and that purpose will be fulfilled just as He promised. Now, let's try to identify these horses and their riders.

THE FIRST SEAL IS BROKEN: ANTICHRIST RISES TO POWER (Rev. 6:1-2)

This lengthy section details the judgments and events of the time of tribulation (Rev.  3:10) from its beginning with the opening of the first seal (vv. 1,2) through the 7 seal, trumpet, and vial (bowl) judgments to the return of Christ to the earth to destroy the ungodly (Rev. 19:11–21).

   1.  The Administrator (6:1) “I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals”

When Christ opened the first seal on the scroll of Tribulation judgment, John saw a man on a white horse who will conquer, apparently without bloodshed. 

        A.  The Lamb is Christ.

The only one worthy to open these seals is the Lord Jesus Christ!  In Rev. 5, Christ was the only One found worthy to open the scroll —the title deed to the universe— and administer judgment.  

       B.  The Seals are Judgments.

As he breaks the 7 seals that secure the scroll, each seal unleashes a new demonstration of God’s judgment on the earth in the future Tribulation Period of seven years (Rev. 5:1; Matt. 24:3–9). These seal judgments include all the judgments to the end. The seventh seal contains the 7 trumpets; the seventh trumpet contains the 7 bowls.

   2.  The Announcer (6:1):

The first living creature announces this judgment–this is probably the lion like beast (Rev. 4:7).

        A.  The Sound of Thunder.

These "storm signals" will be repeated during the time of judgment, always proceeding from the throne and temple of God. (Rev. 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18). 

        B.  The Presence of the Beautiful Beasts.

These special angelic creatures who symbolize God's creation and are related to God's covenant with Noah (Gen 9:8-17) will actually announce the judgments that Christ unleashes on the earth.  The presence of the four creatures before God's throne teaches us that He is in control of creation, and that He will keep His promise to one day deliver creation from the bondage of sin (Rom 8:19-24).  Here they demonstrate that the actions of Christ in administering judgment are in full harmony with His covenant with Noah.  They are symbols of divine integrity and faithfulness to the earthly creation.  It is also interesting to not that when the Beasts speak the attention returns to the earth and when the 24 elders speak it is in reference to things in Heaven (Rev. 7:13). 

   3.  The Action (6:2)

        A.  John Sees a White Horse (6:2 a).

              1. The Color White Could Correspond to Conquest.

The victorious Roman generals would ride a white horse before the procession of conquered peoples in ancient times.

              2.  The White Horse Symbolizes the Desire for Conquest.

The fact that this white horse and its rider precede three other horsemen who wreak havoc on the earth suggests that the white horseman might represent the lust for conquest.

APPLICATION:  When mankind has his heart set on conquest, the result is warfare, famine, and death.  This is even true in our interpersonal conflicts. James 4:2-3, Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. [3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

        B.  John Sees a Rider (6:2 b).

Its rider goes out to conquer with a bow in his hand and a crown on his head.

            1.  The Rider is a Counterfeit Christ.

                  — Do not confuse this scene with that described in Rev 19:11, where we see Christ riding in conquest. 

                  — The Lord Jesus Forewarned and Predicted that False Christs Would Precede His Return to Earth. Matthew 24:3-5, And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? [4] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. [5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

  

                A.  He is a Deceiver.

We would expect the Antichrist to resemble the Christ, because Antichrist is Satan's great imitation! Even the Jews (who ought to know the Scriptures) will be deceived by him (2 Thess 2:1-12;Rev. 13:14; Matt. 24:5, 24).

John 5:43, I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

2 Thes. 2:3-4, Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; [4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2 Thes. 2:8-10, And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [9] Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, [10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

                B.  He is Wearing only One Crown.      

     

                      1.  The word “crown” in Rev 6:2 is stephanos, which means "the victor's crown."   This is the laurel wreath awarded to winning athletes. It “was given unto him.” Antichrist becomes king, elected by the world’s inhabitants regardless of the cost, and will conquer the entire earth in a bloodless coup.

                      2.  The crown that Jesus Christ wears is diadema, "the kingly crown" (Rev 19:12).  Antichrist could never wear the diadem, because it belongs only to the Son of God.

                C.  He is Followed by Disaster.

This rider will be followed by War (vs. 4), Pestilence (vs. 5), Death (vs. 8) and Hell (vs. 8).  The Bible consistently teach that Christ will come and establish a real world peace marked by long life and prosperity.   This obviously does not fit the prophetic sequence.

            2.  The Rider is a Diplomatic False Christ.

This great deceiver will come as a peaceful leader, holding a bow but no arrows!  This is a picture of the Antichrist (Rev. 13:1-10) as he subdues the world through peaceful deception. 1Thes. 5:3, For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

                A.  He Uses the Wrong Weapon. The “bow” is a symbol of war, but the absence of arrows implies that this victory is a bloodless one—a peace won by covenant and agreement, not by war (Dan. 9:24–27).

                    

                B.  Our Lord's weapon is a sword; (Rev 19:15.)   Antichrist will solve the world's problems and be received as the Great liberator.  The true Christ will judge and execute war at His next advent.

                                                                                               

                C.  Daniel states that there is a "prince that shall come," who will make a covenant with Israel to protect her from her enemies (Dan 9:26-27). In other words, the future world dictator begins his career as a peacemaker! He will go from victory to victory and finally control the whole world.

Daniel 9:26-27, And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. [27] And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

            3.  The Rider is a Conquering Anti-Christ.   

                 A.  He Has a Passion for World Conquest.

 Although the Antichrist will be the leading figure promoting “peace,” the entire world will follow him, being obsessed with pursuing this false peace.  His conquests will be secured through the vote of the world and through a universal yearning for peace.

                 B.  This is Not Jesus Christ.

There is much debate over who or what this horseman represents. Some have suggested that the rider on the white horse is actually a symbol of the "conquering Christ" who today is proclaiming the Good News of Christ and defeating the forces of evil in the world.  They see the white horse as being "good" and therefore the rider on a good mission.  Jesus is closely associated with the color white in Revelation (1:14; 6:11; 14:14).  They point to Rev 19:11 as proof, but the only similarity is the presence of a white horse. If this rider is indeed Jesus Christ, it seems strange that He should be named at the end of the book and not at the beginning!

                 C.  Jesus Christ is a Conqueror.

Certainly, there is a sense in which Jesus Christ is conquering today! 

                         1.  He releases people from the bondage of sin and Satan.

Acts 26:18, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Col. 1:13, Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

                         2.  But this conquest began with His victory on the cross and certainly did not have to wait for the opening of a seal! We shall note later that the sequence of events in Rev 6 closely parallels the sequence given by our Lord in His Olivet discourse; and the first item mentioned is the appearance of false Christs (Matt 24:5).