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The Seven Seals of Revelation--Commentary on Revelation Six
The Conquering Horse Chapter 13
Verse 1: “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.”
Verse 1 – “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals,”
John is permitted to see in real time the opening of each Seal. He is a witness to what is recorded. “Kai eidon (‘And I looked’) marks a transition of the vision to another phase of revelation. Revelation 1 was preparation for John to receive information. Revelation 2 and 3 informed the seven churches – God’s people – of moral preparation for the hour of trial and the requirements to complete the covenant. Revelation 4 and 5 describe the throne room from which all of the dramatic events in the rest of the book would be directed. Now the events begin. John is drawn to the Lamb as He opens the first seal. “Eidon (‘I looked’) specifies the role of the prophet: he is to be an eyewitness of this dramatization of future events. John’s role is explicit only one other time in the opening of the seals, in The Seals held the scroll closed. This protected the it from a premature release of judgment information. But now, during warnings and invitations, Jesus begins to break each Seal. When all the seven Seals are broken, the scroll will then be opened. Though Jesus is identified as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, by a heavenly being (5:5) who opens the seals, the portrayal given John is the visualization of a Lamb. The Lamb opens the Seals. This Lamb is still bleeding; thus, His intercessory blood is yet pleading for the saints. Man’s great Advocate opens each Seal – but functionally as a judge – the Lion.
Verse 1 – “and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.”
Contextually, this suggests that the voice of one of the living creatures sounded like thunder. The Greek expression of words in this phrase is confusing, as is the KJV. The NIV renders a very logical meaning: “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven Seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’” “Hos phone brontes (‘as the voice of thunder [speaks]’ betokens a coming storm (cf. Rev. 14:2; 19:6). This is the only Seal accompanied by such a voice of thunder.”[2] The significance of the thunder and voices was previously discussed under Revelation 4:5. There is a great parallel drawn from the lightnings, thunder and voice at Sinai. “Voices” or “speaking” means a decree or declaration is made. Thunder coincides with some phase of God’s judgment. Lightning symbolizes the absolute authority and power of God. Here we have thunder and a voice. Judgment is beginning – it is being decreed. Since this is the only Seal with thunder, the first Seal is a timing marker for judgment. But, what kind? In Christ’s trumpet-like voice in chapter 1 there was no thunder. It was a declaration that time had come to get God’s house and people in order – the great call of assembly of the church leaders to the “sanctuary.” In chapters 4 and 5 the thunder, voices and lightning declared that divine judgment had begun. This is related to the motif of Daniel 7 and brings to view the final judgment scenes when God begins to make up His kingdom. That work began with those who died. Here, at the opening of the first Seal when the voice and thunder are heard for the second time, another judgment is announced. This is urgent and end-time – it decreed that the judgment of the living begins. Thunder two has just sounded – there are five more to go (10:4). This judgment begins at the house of God (11:1-2) and “them that worship there.” That comes from Him who cried with a loud voice which sounded like a lion (10:3), Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. This relates to creature one of the four (Judah) who were around the throne. Reinforcing the “judgment of the living” setting is the interlude message of the sealing of the 144,000 that is depicted in Revelation 7. That goes back and reviews and enhances issues just talked about that span from the white horse (pure people) till after Jesus’ coming. It also marks the onset of the Little Time of Trouble. “And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully. This enraged the churches and nominal Adventists, as they could not refute the Sabbath truth. And at this time God’s chosen all saw clearly that we had the truth, and they came out and endured the persecution with us. I saw the sword, famine, pestilence, and great confusion in the land.”[3] The Seal was opened by the Lamb. The living creature’s words “and see” are an added phrase. But to whom is the Creature saying “Come?” Most commentators, however, feel that the call is for the rider and the horse to appear (John already being in a position to observe by prior invitation of Jesus). A rider and horse are dispatched. The thunderous call is a metaphor for the Loud Cry call. The rider and horse deliver a crucial symbolic message: Come (Erchou) (erchamai – root) means “come forth.” “The Greek word frequently denotes making a public appearance and is used with special reference to a divine epiphany, such as the coming of God to bring judgment or salvation. In Revelation it [frequently] refers to the coming of God or the Christ (1:4, 7, 8, 2:5, 16, Here, there is a related meaning. As we shall see, the horse represents people – this first horse is God’s remnant. Thus, we have a dramatic picture of God’s people to “Come forth.” This occurs when the judgment of the living begins and is when they are going out with a loud (to be heard by all) message. This exegetes back to Matthew 28 when Jesus said to the disciples: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). In turn, Jesus said when the gospel would go to all the world, “then shall the end come” (24:14). “Come forth” – “Go ye” – ties to the final work of God’s people. “Looking for other similar uses of the word in Revelation provides an interesting alternative answer. This same single-word imperative statement shows up at the end of Revelation in Chapter 22, verse 17. ‘The spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.’ [come for them and prepare to enjoy} “When the Spirit issues the invitation to ‘Come,’ what is His intent? When the bride says to ‘Come,’ what is implied? Those who hear this invitation and respond are told to also compel others to ‘Come.’ ... The entire Gospel is wrapped up in this invitation.... Thus we see that all of Heaven is focused on the life-and-death drama of salvation ... “Ezekiel makes it clear that the four creatures are full of the spirit. ‘And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.’ (Eze. 1:12) Should we be surprised then, that the invitation John hears from them is exactly the same that the Spirit gives? Since they are filled with the Spirit, and are intimates of God and His Son, why should we not expect them to also issue this gospel invitation? “With the opening of the first four seals, we hear the gospel invitation sounding from heaven with the power and authority of thunder.”[5] “Which ‘beast’ extends the invitation here? since there are four of them. Again as we inspect the next seven verses we hear the ‘second, third’ and ‘fourth’ beasts all say ‘come and see’ in verses 3, 5 and 7. Therefore, this is the ‘first beast ... like a lion’ (Rev. 4:7) who extends the first invitation. Note that this same ‘beast’ is also likely called ‘one of the four beasts’ in Rev. 15:7. And, according to Jewish tradition, the figure of a lion was on the standard of the leading tribe of Judah as Israel encamped in the wilderness. Note that ‘Judah’ heads the list of the 144,000 (Rev. 7:4). Furthermore, ‘the face of a young lion’ was portrayed facing the ‘palm tree’ of victory in Ezek. 41:19.”[6] “[Judah] ... was associated with the symbol of a lion and was the first tribe to lead out when the Israelites moved between camps in the wilderness. One interesting parallel to this text is found in Revelation 10:3. This passage is part of the Interlude Scene for the Seven Trumpets. An angelic figure is seen in the vision. From the description, we can surmise that this angelic figure is Jesus. Look at the description of how Jesus speaks in this passage. Rev 10:3: and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. “So we once again see an instance where a voice like thunder is associated with a lion roaring. This gives us more confidence that the first living creature is indeed the lion. It supports the conclusion that the living being issues the command as if he were speaking with God’s voice – i.e., God’s authority.... “This would be consistent with the conclusion that we came to earlier that the cherubim are ‘senior officials’ in God’s heavenly court, and that they pass on His instructions.”[7] As Judah was the lead tribe for ancient Israel, the 144,000 symbolize spiritual Israel, the lead “tribe” – Judah. The white horse takes on great symbolic significance. “And under the control of God are the forces and powers of earth, ever guided and directed by unseen messengers from heaven. ‘As the wheel-like complications were under the guidance of the hand beneath the wings of the cherubim, so the complicated play of human events is under divine control. Amidst the strife and tumult of nations, He that sitteth above the cherubim still guides the affairs of the earth.’ Ed., p. 178. ‘In the visions given to Isaiah, to Ezekiel, and to John, we see how closely Heaven is connected with the events taking place upon the earth, and how great is the care of God for those who are loyal to him. The world is not without a ruler. The program of coming events is in the hands of the Lord. The Majesty of heaven has the destiny of nations, as well as the concerns of his church, in his own charge.... The tireless vigilance of the heavenly messengers, and their unceasing employment in their ministry in connection with the beings of earth, show us how God’s hand is guiding the wheel within a wheel.’ (5T, pp. 753, 754). “The messengers sent are messengers of salvation and judgment. Co-operation means life and victory, resistance means defeat and death.”[8] The opening of the first Seal sets in motion events that will culminate human history.[9] Some expositors claim this first Seal began at Pentecost, starting successive ages in the history of the church. An argument against such reasoning was made by David S. Clark: “There is no reason for assuming that these four seals or four horses are successive events to the extent of representing successive ages. It is not true to fact that conquest comes in one age, war in another, famine in another, and death in another. They all belong to the same age; they are parts of the same affair; they all go together, conquest, war, famine, death.”[10] (This comes from a literal interpretative section of this prophecy.) “Ch. 6 may comprise the beginning of a holy, or rather eschatological, war, for it introduces the struggle between the two sovereignties, earth, i.e. the ungodly, and heaven, i.e. the godly; see vss. 14-15. Operations seem to be directed from the throne room itself. This is suggested 1) by the four commands, ‘Come forth,’ from the living creatures who are associated with the movements of the throne–chariot; vss. 1, 3, 5, 7; 2) by the four repetitions of edothe, ‘it was granted’ or ‘given,’ the impersonal passive frequently used euphemistically when God is the agent; vss. 2, 4, 8, 11; 7:2-3) by the phrase ho kathemenos, ‘he who was seated upon it (the horse),’ rather than the usual Greek word for cavalier or rider, hippeus. This may have been done deliberately to associate the riders on the horses with ‘he who sat upon’ the throne. The same Greek participle with the definite article, ho kathemenos, is used.... they are of such magnitude that they could not have been caused purely by human agency, and indeed are clearly eschatological.”[11]
Verse 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.”
Verse 2 – “And I saw, and behold a white horse:”
John witnesses the staging of the first Seal. I saw Lamb open Seal I heard Beast call on stage actors of the scene I saw Prophetic allegory portrayed
White Color White stands for purity. It symbolizes the perfect righteousness of Christ. It also is a metaphor for victory[12] (Isaiah Here a horse is colored white. It isn’t changed to white; it is white – holy – it is part of its being. White among the Romans was not only the color of innocence and purity but also, as noted above, the color of victory. One can immediately discern, therefore, that this first Seal scene begins with the triumph of righteousness. This is end-time language. They were conquering and would continue to do so until victory was achieved. In this passage as well as in the exegetic tie to Zechariah 1 and 6, the focus is more on the horses than the riders. The horses go forth to patrol or conquer. Horse A horse is often used for a symbol of people in battle, This Seal is no exception. They represent God’s remnant depicted as a holy people. “‘I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.’ Song of Solomon 1:9. ‘That led them (the Israelites, God’s people) through the deep, a horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?’ Isaiah 63:13. ‘Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats; for the Lord of hosts hath visited His flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as His goodly horse in the battle.’ Zechariah 10:3. “Following this concept we may see the horses of the first four seals as religious peoples and the riders as their leaders or guiding forces. Indeed they are horses in battle – the struggle between good and evil.”[13] “In the context of last-day judgment prophecy, Joel also compares people to horses, Joel 2:1-4: ‘Blow the trumpet in Jerusalem; shout a warning on my holy mountain. Let all the people who live in the land shake with fear, because the Lord’s day of judging ... is coming; it is near. It will be a dark, gloomy day, cloudy and black. Like the light at sunrise, a great and powerful army [KJV = people] will spread over the mountains. There has never been anything like it before, and there will never be anything like it again ... In front of them a fire destroys; in back of them a flame burns. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden; the land behind them is like an empty desert. Nothing will escape from them. They look like horses, and they run like war horses.”[14] The various hues on the four horses reveal the characters of the people they represent, the natures of those depicted at that point in time. Carrying this a step further: “The ‘white stone’ (Rev. 2:17) represents Christ’s character which is freely offered. The promise is made to the ‘few’ in Sardis that ‘they shall walk ... in white’ and ‘be clothed in white raiment.’ (Rev. 3:4, 5) The members of Laodicea are urged to ‘buy ... white raiment,’ (Rev. 3:18) representing Christ’s pure character. The ‘four and twenty elders’ were ‘clothed in white ...’ (Rev. 4:4) We are yet to study about the ‘white robes’ of Rev. 6:11 which surely represents Christ’s character. The members of a ‘great multitude’ depicted in Rev. 7:9 are ‘clothed with white robes.’ There are many other examples signifying the same thing, but probably the most outstanding example is in Rev. 19:11 where we see Jesus ‘called Faithful and True’ sitting upon a ‘white horse.’ “Therefore, with the understanding that the ‘horse’ represents ‘people,’ the ‘white horse’ must represent people who have accepted Christ’s character and the Person in control is Christ Himself. “According to our understanding the white horse represents the 144,000 clothed in the righteousness of Christ. They go out to do battle with Satan and his lies about God. Jesus gives the 144,000 the victory over sin in their lives.”[15]
Verse 2 – “and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”
Commentators debate as to who is on the horse. Who is leading God’s victorious people? The imagery leads us directly to Revelation 19:11-13. There, a white horse is shown on which is Faithful and True” and “his name is The Word of God.” There, Jesus is depicted as “he doth judge and make war” – He judges and executes judgments. This dual function of Christ points to this Seal as the beginning of the judgment (see under 6:1) and war. What war? Later we will show that this is when the early stages of Armageddon commence. Some have questioned, How can the Lamb who opens the Seals be the one leading a remnant forward into battle? He is also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. “The color white is associated with Christ throughout the book, as already noted (Johnson). Only Christ can ride a horse that is white, the color of righteousness (Mounce). The triumph of Christ before the beginning of woes is promised in Mark Some (there are many) see an antichrist or a demonic rider here on the horse. But would a cherubim that is before God the Father’s throne call forth a demonic power to lead God’s people? No! The context and the details make clear, it is the Messiah. “That the rider is Christ (or his forces of the gospel) is supported by the following parallels: (1) It may be an allusion to Ps 45:3-5 (MT), where the rider is an Israelite king who defeats his enemies with arrows as he ‘rides on victoriously’ (Ps. 45:6 is understood by Heb 1:8 as a messianic prophecy). (2) In Horsemen “As is often the case (cf. Job 39:19-25; Ps. 76:5-6; Prov. Conquering Perhaps the most important clue to the nondescript rider is His going forth to conquer. “This rider on the white horse goes out ‘conquering and to conquer.’ The word translated as ‘conquer’ here is the exact same word that is translated as ‘overcome,’ ‘prevail,’ or ‘gotten the victory’ approximately 30 times throughout the New Testament. This is the only case where it is translated as ‘conquer.’ It is the same word that is used in the Introductory Sanctuary Scene when one of the elders tells John ‘the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’ – Rev 5:5. This ‘conquering’ is therefore more appropriately ‘overcoming’ and is consistent with the stephanos crown that is given to the rider. One more point – there is a repetition of the word in the Greek. This construct conveys a very strong sense that the action will continue until it is complete. This rider, therefore, goes out to overcome, and continues to overcome until his work is complete. Notice that the rider already had a bow but was given a crown.”[19] The motif states that Jesus is leading His remnant people onward to finish the work to help others overcome also. E. G. White does use the conquering expression often. To overcome, one must be victorious, with Christ’s help, in conquering sin. In this setting both applications are apropos. “Although ... [she] says nothing specifically about the ‘white horse,’ she does paraphrase ‘conquering and to conquer’ some thirty-three times. For example: ‘After gaining one advantage, you must do battle again; you must go on conquering and to conquer, gathering fresh struggles’ (ST9-7-91). ‘Your leader goeth forth, conquering and to conquer. Never forget that you are fighting the battle of the Lord of hosts, in full view of the invisible world’ (RH 3-15-98). ‘Clad in the armor of Christ’s righteousness, the church is to enter upon her final conflict.... she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer’ (RH 7-1-15). ‘In the power of Him who rides forth conquering and to conquer, weak, finite man may gain the victory’ (SD 358).”[20] God’s people, armed with His character, are going forward with the power of Jesus, with the crown of victory to help others conquer. They are moving onward in the great work of finishing the final spread of the gospel. That is end-time imagery, revealing the work of the final Loud Cry under the Latter Rain! Now let us explore another remarkable symbol. The Crown This crown is a stephanos, a crown of victory. As the horse and rider go out, victory is assured. The crown is in the rider’s hand. It was given to him. It would be a promise of hope. The Bow “This symbol is a little more ambiguous in the Bible. There are no other references to a bow anywhere in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, a bow generally represents military force or military might. Often, God would ‘break the bow’ of a nation, indicating that He would overthrow their military might. At other times, the bow would symbolize spiritual warfare. The bow seems to be an indiscriminate tool which can be used either for good or evil. Sometimes the symbol of a bow was associated with God’s punishment of His own people for their persistent disobedience. At other times the symbol of a bow was associated with God’s punishment of the nations who were oppressing the Israelites. Consider the following passage from Isaiah. In this passage, God is warning Judah that He will call a nation to subdue them and take them into captivity because they have refused to follow Him. In context, God does assure them that after this chastisement, He will restore a remnant and turn His anger toward the nations that oppress them. “Isaiah 5:25-30; Jeremiah 6:22-30; Jeremiah 50:44-46; Jeremiah 4:27-31; Jeremiah 50:13-15, 29; Hebrew 3:1-19; Psalms 11:1-7 all contain one or more linguistic ties to the seals mentioning the bow.... “[Zechariah] ties in one additional idea that is significant... Remember that the two primary background passages that talk about the four colored horses came from Zechariah chapters 1 & 6. Zechariah provides the primary Old Testament background for the first four Seals. The whole book of Zechariah is filled with end time types and themes. The following passage appears in that context. “‘But I will camp around My house because of an army, because of him who passes by and returns; and no oppressor will pass over them anymore, for now I have seen with My eyes. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; and His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; this very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you. For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece; and I will make you like a warrior’s sword. Then the LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning; and the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, and will march in the storm winds of the south. The LORD of hosts will defend them. And they will devour, and trample on the sling stones; and they will drink, and be boisterous as with wine; and they will be filled like a sacrificial basin, drenched like the corners of the altar. And the LORD their God will save them in that day as the flock of His people; for they are as the stones of a crown, sparkling in His land. For what comeliness and beauty will be theirs! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins. Ask rain from the LORD at the time of the spring [i.e. latter] rain – the LORD who makes the storm clouds; and He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man.’ Zech 9:8-10:1. “The first reference to a bow was to the bow of the wicked which was used against God’s people. The next reference to a bow is to the Lord’s bow. He says that Judah is His bow, and Ephraim is the arrow. This refers to the re-uniting of the two kingdoms of Israel – Judah is the southern kingdom, and the Northern kingdom is often referred to as Ephraim because Jeroboam was an Ephraimite. This reference indicates that all of spiritual Israel will be saved, and that God will work through them to accomplish their own deliverance. He will bend Judah as His bow and fill His bow with Ephraim, and will save them in that day as the flock of His people. The new point that we should notice here is in verse 10:1: ... a specific reference to the Latter Rain is introduced.[21] There are bows held by the enemies of God’s people. But here at the time of the latter rain the “Lord” is carrying this bow as He leads His purified people. This symbolism must relate to what they represent as they go forth to conquer. First, they characterize Jesus; secondly, what He is carrying – the bow – invites us to some remarkable imagery. The Greek word for “bow” is taxon, which simply means a bow. In the Septuagint this word refers to the bow of a warrior. The bow, the instrument drawn into a curve, has allusions to the sign of God’s bow of promise, the permanence of God’s covenant truth. The symbolism moves deeper. When a bow misses the mark, it is deceitful; when it hits the mark, it is truth in verity. It is guided by God (I Kings Drawing all the illustrations together, this bow is God’s Spirit-filled truth. Its arrows will hit the mark because they represent God’s great redemptive covenant truth (carried forth by His people). A transforming promise is behind this beautiful illustration:
God’s people – The horses Have a righteous character – white Under the influence of Christ – rider Victory is assured – stephanos crown By the power of the Spirit and weapon of truth – bow To go forth to conquer – to overcome Satan They will hit the mark.
The first Seal begins the move to conquer, spiritually, the honest hearts by a message of truth. It will soon swell into a Loud Cry. This work is ongoing, as noted previously from the Greek words, while the other Seals are broken. The work of the remnant 144,000 is to subdue and prevail in this final activity. Clover puts this Seal squarely at the end of time, strongly drawing away from the historicist view: “So do I believe that the White Horse seen with the opening of the first seal is the early Christian Church? No. I believe we have correctly interpreted the White Horse, but that we have made the wrong application. After all, John was told that he was to be shown what must take place after these things. Pentecost, and the early spread of the Church, was behind him. It was history, not prophecy. “The events of Pentecost were truly remarkable. Never in the history of the world had the power of God so directly touched the lives of men. And the effect was dramatic. The convicting power of the Holy Spirit drove men to confront the truths from which they had been hiding, and to accept – or reject – the claim of Jesus on their lives. Miracles were performed that rivaled any that Jesus did. Prophecy ran rampant. Lives were changed forever as commitments were made. “But let’s not lose sight of the fact that what happened at Jerusalem was only a small portrait of what is to happen again on a worldwide basis. What happened locally will happen globally. The ‘early rain’ must instruct us on what to expect when the ‘latter rain’ is poured out, and not this time on a small group only, but on all people everywhere! Joel records that:
“‘It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My spirit in those days. I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness And the Moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Will be delivered.’ (Joel 2:28-32) “As the ‘latter rain’ experience will be worldwide in scope, I believe it to be a better match to the symbol of the White Horse than the ‘early rain.’ “It was with great interest that I came upon the following statements from the pen of Ellen White. On page 33 of Early Writings she wrote, ‘At the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.’ She was apparently asked about this statement, because she later issued a clarifying statement that is recorded on page 85 of the same work. ‘The commencement of the time of trouble,’ here mentioned does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary ... At that time ... trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check ...’ In this clarifying statement, Ellen White is saying that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that empowers the last-day church does not come at the commencement of the Great Time of Trouble, but at the start of a little time of trouble that will precede the Great Time of Trouble. This is one of Ellen White’s first references to the Early time of Trouble, and at its start the Holy Spirit will be poured out. “Besides the fact that the empowering of the church by the Holy Spirit matches the symbolic picture given in Revelation, and beside the fact that the timing coincides with what Ellen White saw in vision, there are other logical reasons that support this prophetic application. “1. The Holy Spirit is the one essential agent in the ripening of Earth’s crops. Both the Wheat and the Tares will ripen with exposure to His power. “2. The events that follow will be seen to flow sequentially from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We will see the effect of that action in the seals that follow. One seal will be seen to reference persecution of the church on a global scale. This persecution will not rise up without an infusion of ‘primitive Godliness’ which only the Holy Spirit can give. “3. This construction places the responsibility for the commencing of ‘end-time’ events squarely in the hands of God and Jesus. God is sovereign, and He alone decides when the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit will begin. But when it does, the world will never be the same again. “4. The time in which the seals are removed is the time in which the 144,000 are selected and sealed. This would be impossible without the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit.[23] “In vision I saw two armies in terrible conflict. One army was led by banners bearing the world’s insignia; the other was led by the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel. Standard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after company from the Lord’s army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God. An angel flying in the midst of heaven put the standard of Immanuel into many hands, while a mighty general cried out with a loud voice: ‘Come into line. Let those who are loyal to the commandments of God and the testimony of Christ now take their position. Come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters. Let all who will come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.’”[24] “The rider on the horse held a bow. He was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest or conquering to conquer. ‘The aorist tense Christ is portrayed as the Conquering One. Being introduced, by the first living creature, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, He rides forth to direct the work of the priests of His kingdom on earth. The ‘called out ones’ will conquer, by the proclamation of the gospel, in the context of judgment. Those on earth who respond positively will be redeemed. Those who reject the invitation will be slated for final judgment.”[25] “The Captain of our salvation was ordering the battle, and sending support to his soldiers. His power was mightily displayed, encouraging them to press the battle to the gates. He taught them terrible things in righteousness as He led them on step by step, conquering and to conquer.”[26]
References: [1] Thomas, Robert L.; Revelation 1-7 – An Exegetical Commentary (Moody Press, Chicago), 1992, p. 333 (emphasis added). 2 Ibid., p. 415. 3 White, Ellen G.; Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 101 (1915). 4 Ford, J. Massingberde; The Anchor Bible (Doubleday, New York), 1975, p. 97. 5 Clover, David; Revelation, Chapters 4:1-8:5 (Prophecy Research Initiative document – 2002), p. 5. 6 Wood, Op. cit., p. 4. 7 Canter, Op. cit., p. 39. 8 Thiele, Op. cit., p. 121. 9 Mounce, Op. cit., p. 141. 10 As quoted in Gregg, Op. cit., pp. 102-104. 11 Ford, Op. cit., pp. 101-102. 12 Thiele, Op. cit., p. 122. 13 Wade, Ted; The Throne, the Lamb and the Hymns (Prophecy Research Initiative document – 2002). 14 Nicholas, C. L.; The Bridegroom Is Coming , p. 202. 15 Ibid., p. 208. 16 Thomas, Op. cit., p. 419. 17 Beale, Op. cit., p. 375. 18 Thomas, Op. cit., p. 417. 19 Canter, Op. cit., p. 40. 20 Wood, Op. cit., pp. 5-6. 21 Canter, Op. cit., p 47-51. 22 Harris, R. Laird, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, vol. II, p. 819. Brown, Colin; General Editor; New International Dictionary of New testament Theology, vol. 1, p. 623. 23 Clover, Op. cit., p. 15. 24 White, Ellen G.; Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 41. 25 Shumate, Op. cit., p. 29. 26 White, Ellen G.; Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 41. [1] Thomas, Robert L.; Revelation 1-7 – An Exegetical Commentary (Moody Press, Chicago), 1992, p. 333 (emphasis added). [2] Ibid., p. 415. [3] White, Ellen G.; Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 101 (1915). [4] Ford, J. Massingberde; The Anchor Bible (Doubleday, New York), 1975, p. 97. [5] Clover, David; Revelation, Chapters 4:1-8:5 (Prophecy Research Initiative document – 2002), p. 5. [6] Wood, Op. cit., p. 4. [7] Canter, Op. cit., p. 39. [8] Thiele, Op. cit., p. 121. [9] Mounce, Op. cit., p. 141. [10] As quoted in Gregg, Op. cit., pp. 102-104. [11] Ford, Op. cit., pp. 101-102. [12] Thiele, Op. cit., p. 122. [13] Wade, Ted; The Throne, the Lamb and the Hymns (Prophecy Research Initiative document – 2002). [14] Nicholas, C. L.; The Bridegroom Is Coming , p. 202. [15] Ibid., p. 208. [16] Thomas, Op. cit., p. 419. [17] Beale, Op. cit., p. 375. [19] Canter, Op. cit., p. 40. [20] Wood, Op. cit., pp. 5-6. [21] Canter, Op. cit., p 47-51. [22] Harris, R. Laird, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, vol. II, p. 819. Brown, Colin; General Editor; New International Dictionary of New testament Theology, vol. 1, p. 623. [23] Clover, Op. cit., p. 15. |