The First Seal
By Ashley R. Clarkson
1 May, 2002
"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." - Revelation 6:1,2
Following the Rapture of the Church, the first seal is broken by the Lamb (who else but the greatest lamb, Jesus). The first horse (and rider) ride out. This is the Antichrist, the most evil man who, has, does or will ever exist. He will help bring the world to near extinction, and I'm sure, no doubt, put all others who were ever in contention for the infamous name to shame.
How Do You Know It Is The Antichrist?
"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." - Revelation 6:1,2The first four seals release horses with riders upon them. You'll notice that they are coloured and some are holding objects whilst they ride (they must be accomplished riders, it ain't everyone who can ride one or no-handed. Look ma! no hands!) Now while interpreting prophecy is not an exact science (just look at the many thousand minor variations in interpretation) it is clear to most people that these horses are symbolic. The first seal is symbolic of something. Lets have a look at what we can see about what is used to symbolise:
a) White horse. White means peace (also surrender, but lets keep it simple eh?). We know that the Antichrist signs a treaty with Israel, which begins the tribulation. We also know that Israel is attacked at a moment she feels the safest. World peace (or pseudo-peace) plus no angry arabs = happy Israel. Ergo the world must be at peace. And then of course there is the rather obvious fact that the second horse is empowered to take away peace. Well, that means there has to be peace of some form around when the lid pops off the pot. So this symbolises the bringing of peace (or pseudo-peace). The antichrist brings peace. Here is our first clue it is him. b) A bow. A bow is a weapon (), but a rather useless one without arrows (unless you plan to clobber them to death, or kill them by turning it into an instrument and playing something terrible). You'll notice that no arrow is mentioned. This reveals that whatever the horse symbolises will conquer, but not by means of war. The antichrist fits this kind of bill. It is clear that 7 of the 10 nations will freely follow the antichrist, and a further 3 reluctantly (perhaps as a result of a coup). He also signs a treaty (covenant) with Israel (as I just said). Thus this is our second clue about him. c) A crown. A crown is generally given to one of great authority, such as a King or Queen. In this case the crown symbolises the giving of great power. The Antichrist will be the most powerful man on the planet, controlling a European Superstate that will have an incredibly strong economy (perhaps we will see exchange rates measured against the Euro in the future, instead of the American dollar) as well as an extremely strong military. This is a definite pointer to the white horse being the Antichrist. d) He goes forth conquering, and to conquer. Quite self explanatory really, especially in light of the previous points. You join the dots! e) "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth 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." - Revelation 19:11,12
Imitation. Jesus' return brings peace (the real type) to the Earth. The Antichrist's appearance is an attempt to steal the show (to use one analogy) by Satan. We can see this symbolically as well by looking at the similarities between the above verse (describing Jesus) and that of the White Horse (whom we have by now pretty much established as the Antichrist). Both ride white horses and both have a crown (in Jesus' case he has many). You can see the subtle attempt, can't you.
So there you have it. The first seal is the revealing of the Antichrist. Now lets get into some more detail about the world's most evil man.
So Just How Evil Will He Be?
To answer this question I will quickly cover some facts of two particularly evil men that have gained power in the past 100 years. No doubt you already know most of this, but if you don't, then you soon will.Example 1: Adolph Hitler Hitler was Leader of Nazi Germany 1933-1945. Under his reign, Germany took control of Austria, parts of Czechoslovakia and the Rhineland (as examples) under his policy of 'Lebensraum', or 'Living Space'. Poland was invaded in October 1939, beginning World War 2.
After swift victories, and gaining control of most of Europe, he made the fatal mistake of invading the USSR in 1941. After being turned back at the gates of Moscow from some of the bravest, gutsiest fighting ever seen, he was pushed into a sandwich war (that is, attacked from more than one side). The 1942 entry of the USA into the war spelt the end for Hitler, as the allied forces began to make victories on the Eastern front, and then in Northern Africa and up through Sicily and Italy.
The end of the war was in sight when the Allied forces landed at Normandy on the 6th of June, 1944. The end of Hitler's reign was at hand. He commited suicide in April of 1945, shortly before the German surrender. In total Hitler's 'Final Solution' killed over 6 million Jews, gypsies and other 'undesirables'.
Example 2: Josef Stalin Josef Stalin (an adopted name meaning 'man of steel', his original surname was Dzhugashvili) succeeded Lenin in 1924 as the head of the USSR. Starting in 1927 with the members of parliament in the Left Opposition, Stalin tightened his grip on power by deporting, executing, or sending political enemies to labour camps in the harsh environment of Siberia.
In 1928 Stalin began the task of advancing the Soviet Union through forced industrialisation and collectivisation. This was divided into five year plans, and the first plan involved a very widescale campaign of deportations, arrests and mass executions of the 'Kulak' class (Russian word meaning 'fist'. A name given to Russian Landlords).
"From 1934 to 1939 Stalin ordered a series of executions and imprisonments, largely directed towards people within the Soviet government. Half of the members of the first Council of Peoples Commissars were executed in 1938 (A quarter of them had died natural deaths before hand, of the remaining quarter only Stalin lived past 1942). Some government officials executed were thought to be Nazi agents or sympathisers, while others were accused for planning to overthrow the Soviet government. Members of the Left Opposition who were allowed to return to the party after accepting Stalinism were soon executed, those who remained abroad were hunted down and killed. Also executed were people belonging to the right-wing of the party (Bukharin and others). The exact number of people executed is not known, estimates range from thousands to millions." (From the Stalin Reference Archive, Biography of Josef Stalin.) I was taught that Josef Stalin had over 13 million executed. This includes those sent to the labour camps in Siberia.
Now certainly you must admit these men are extremely evil, and I'm sure many in this world must think that someone so cruel will never come to power again. Well unfortunately, they're wrong. For the Antichrist will be so cruel, he'll make these two look like a bunch of school boy bullies. In his desire to be worshipped as God, the Antichrist will bring about the deaths of not millions, but billions! This man will persecute the Tribulation Saints with a great ferocity, showing no mercy in his pursuit of deity.
So What Do We Know About Him?
For a start, we know from what region he will come. He will be of "the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary". The people who came and destroyed the city and the sanctuary were none other than the Romans under Emperor Titus, who did so in 70 A.D.("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." - Daniel 9:26) This leaves us in a bind, however. You see, according to my history books, and looking at the world map today, there is no Roman Empire. But what I can tell you is the general area that the vast majority of Romans lived, worked, ruled and conquered them barbarians from - Western Europe.He will rule from the city of seven mountains, or hills, which just happens to be in Western Europe. It was also the capital of the Roman Empire. It's name? Rome ("And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." - Revelation 17:9). Yes, Rome. Personally I think it is the ideal place to have a capital. Not only does it carry the prestige of the days of the Roman Empire, but it is also in a country with a fairly powerful economy, and which is part of the European Common Market. Then there is the fact that the Vatican is in Rome (well technically, it is an independent state. But it is in the heart of Rome so the connection is fair), and so after the rapture there will be a nice little spot for his one world religion to headquarter (all in an easy stroll to his own location).
He will rule a Unified European Superstate - most likely one that forms from the current European Union. Efforts have been underway since the late 1950s (the Treaty of Rome was signed on the 25th of March, 1957 in Rome and established the European Community (EC) which is today known as the European Union (EU). Since then many further treaties have been signed and membership is up from the original 6 nations to a current 15 nations) to bring the European states into a closer state of economic and political union. A significant number of the EU members have a single common currency - the Euro. But how do you know that he will rule from Europe? you may ask. Well, these next few verses are the answers you're looking for:-
Big Feet = European Superstate
"Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure." - Daniel 2:31-45You'll notice that the parts of the body represent empires. The fourth empire is in two parts - iron (the first part, representing the Roman Empire) and iron mixed with clay (the second part, which represents a revived Roman Empire in the form of some sort of loose unified government, like a confederacy). The iron represents strength - a unified Europe would have massive economic and military strength far surpassing that of the United States of America or Japan. But it is still a very diverse place. Many different customs and languages can be found in Europe. The Roman Empire did not really have this problem - the Roman beliefs were forcibly emplaced on the territories. This is what the clay probably symbolises. You'll also notice that a big mountain smashes into the feet of the body and totally consumes them. This is Jesus' kingdom, which is set up after Jesus returns to defeat the Antichrist (just for general clarification, knowledge and consumption! ). So that is one set of verses completed. Onwards to the next!
Beasts And Horns - Just Like A Zoo!
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." - Daniel 7:7-8 "Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." - Daniel 7:19-26Just like the body of chapter two we see another symbol of the four great empires. Once again we are given clues by the use of symbolism as to characteristics of both his powerhouse and himself. You will note the 10 horns. This is the same as the ten toes in the body that Daniel describes in chapter 2. You'll note in the second passage that it says the ten horns are ten kings - kings have to rule a nation. 10 kings, 10 nations. Oh yes, while I'm at it, note that ten kings as rulers doesn't mean that Europe is heading back to full autocracy. Back in those days the concept of a president hadn't reached much further than the city states of Greece and Italy, and they weren't about to tell anybody (despite the fact that they wouldn't have called them the president).Back to the topic anyhow. We see that a little horn rises up. This is the Antichrist ladies and gentlemen, and we see that he subdues three of the kings. This probably corresponds to a coup of sorts, or something similar. It most likely seems that these three 'kings' are uneasy about giving up all their hard earned power to some big 'nobody come wonder from the back of beyond', and so wake up one morning without a job. Well, at least that is the optimistic version. Perhaps they may disappear or die of suspicious circumstances. We know that the Antichrist is devious in this sort of way ("And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up." - Daniel 8:23).
An essentially vital piece of information to note is that the ten horns and the little horn rise up out of the fourth beast. This is important as it tells us that the nations rise from the Roman Empire, as well as Antichrist. The ten nations must have been in part at the very least ruled by the Romans at some time. But wait...there's more!
Even Beasts Like To Swim...
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." - Revelation 13:1-10.This beast is the antichrist (thus the reason that people refer to the antichrist as the beast, if you weren't already aware of that). Now as you have no doubt just read he is said to rise up out of the sea. This is symbolic language. In the Bible, Israel is referred to as the Land (or the earth), and the gentile nations of Europe as the sea. So the antichrist rises out of the gentile nations of Europe, unlike his good buddy the false prophet who rises out of Israel.
He has seven heads and ten horns which corresponds with the previous verses I stated. The seven heads are seven nations that willingly give him the power to rule over them. Ten horns, ten crowns basically means that he ends up ruling ten nations.
"Upon his heads the name of blasphemy" means that he blasphemes God. The antichrist is likened to a leopard, with feet like a bear and a mouth like a Lion. These are symbolic of characteristics of him. Like a leopard he is very cunning, feet like a bear means that he is very strong (not necessarily physical strength) and a mouth like a Lion means he will be a great speaker, probably the best of all time, just like the lion is the king of the animals.
Note he is given the dragons power, seat and great authority. The dragon is Satan. So here we have proof that the antichrist is not Satan, as to give himself his own power, seat and authority would be pointless. He already has it. Instead think of it as a sort of unholy trinity, with Satan, the antichrist and the false prophet. Except the three are different people unlike the holy trinity (well, it is true that they are three personages, but they are also one and the same personage, sort of like there are six faces to a cube).
So What Are The Events In Order?
Following the rapture the world will be in chaos. Seeing people disappear isn't an everyday experience after all. The timing is unknown, and could be anything from hours to days, weeks to even months (years is highly unlikely, as it is most probable that Antichrist will lie about the removal of the church (or at least, what remains of it), perhaps saying they were a stumbling block to peace). But some time in the immediate future all of a sudden Antichrist will arise from a European state. By this time there will be a group of nations readying to unite, of which 3 will be quite reluctant. These are the 3 that Antichrist will take over by some coup de grace or similar shady ways (it is possible they may even die of 'mysterious circumstances'). Antichrist will suffer a fatal head wound, which will be 'miraculously healed'. This will no doubt help him in his rise to power as a saviour of the people.Having secured himself his European Superstate as a powerbase he will make overtures to Israel of protection. As a result of this the Jews, who have been facing persecution endlessly will grasp this chance at peace like a hungry child will food. A covenant (treaty) will be signed between the two for a period of 7 years. it is at this stage that the tribulation begins.