Prophetic Pulpit: The First Seal

                                           The rider on a white horse  

Revelation 6: 1, 2 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!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! It's rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out to conquer, bent on conquest. 

There is a  disturbance I see in the church that concerns me. It is the troubled mindset that so many Christians have regarding the times that we live in. Many Christians see the escalation of evil in the earth, and also the crises battering our world today, and they are deeply perplexed and confused by it all. What is happening?! Where is God?! It seems Satan is ruling and reigning in the earth! It looks like the devil is having his way with the world! Evil is ravaging the earth! If God is all sovereign and in control, where is He?! 

Though as Christians we should be concerned with what is happening in our world, we should not be confused and perplexed. If we are, it is because we do not understand "last days bible prophecy." 

It is true our world is in shambles because of the sheer evil flooding the earth. It is true the earth is in turmoil because of all the crises ravaging our world. Yet, God is in control. God is allowing all the evil, crisis and turmoil to prepare the world for the Antichrist. When the Antichrist steps onto the world stage, he will seemingly have all the answers to the world's problems and the world will readily receive him as the savior of the world. 

I am reminded of Revelation 6: 1, 2. The Antichrist is portrayed as riding a white horse, holding a bow, but has no arrows. The white horse and the arrowless bow tells us the Antichrist will come to conquer the world through peace. More than anything else, what is the world crying out for? Peace! When the Antichrist takes center stage, he will come with the solution to all the world's problems and bring peace to the earth (at least for three and a half years). The world will so readily follow him. 

My precious brothers and sisters in Christ, we can take comfort in God's Word!

First, we can look at all the crisis going on in the world today and know that God is in absolute control, ultimately working out His purposes on the earth. He is the one calling the shots; He is the one pulling the strings. Then when the Antichrist has served God's purposes (keep in mind the Great Tribulation is going to bring a worldwide revival and millions of people are going to be saved) God will destroy him in the lake of fire and set up His thousand year Kingdom in the earth.

Secondly, we will not be here when the Antichrist comes to power. We will have been taken up in the rapture, and during the earth's Tribulation we will be in heaven celebrating the Marriage Supper Of the Lamb. 

Until the rapture, we battle for lost souls through prayer and the ministry of the gospel like there is no tomorrow (literally, because the rapture can occur at any moment). We arm ourselves with the armor of light and invade the darkness with absolute confidence in our heart that God is in total control.  

Additional Reflection

I know that as Christians, we are not untouched by the evil and suffering in the world. We suffer and hurt with everyone else. So, we have to ask the question, if God is ultimately in control of the evilness in our world, even using it for His own purposes, does this mean God is indifferent to all the evil and suffering going on in the world? Not at all. The same Christ who wept at Lazarus tomb grieves over the wickedness and suffering in our world. From His compassionate heart, He is continuing to pour out His grace to save, heal, restore and empower all who call upon His name. His grace still reigns in the earth. Romans 5:21 says, Where sin did abound, grace did much more abound. No matter how strong and destructive sin may be, grace will always be stronger. 

Reflecting upon John 11 and Lazarus' death, Jesus wept over the sorrow that Lazarus death brought upon the earth, but Jesus also saw the BIGGER picture. He saw the faith of His disciples being strengthened (Vs. 14). He saw God being glorified (Vs. 40). He saw souls being saved (Vs. 45). 

Today Jesus grieves over the sorrow and suffering that evil brings to our world, but He also sees the BIGGER picture. Today's evil, crisis and turmoil is ultimately preparing the stage for the Antichrist and the Great Tribulation. During the Great Tribulation, Jesus sees millions of souls being saved. He sees the Jews finally turning to Him as their Messiah. He sees evil wholly eradicated from the earth. He sees God glorified forever. When evil touches our life, let's draw comfort in the One who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and trust that though we may not understand, He sees the bigger picture that we are not yet able to see. 

God be praised.