THE WHITE HORSEMAN OF DECEPTION
The first we see is the rider of the white horse. We read in 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." There are many who describe this horseman as the Lord Jesus because of the similarities found in Revelation 19. However, this horseman is not the Lord Jesus. It is Christ who broke the seal, therefore He would not be the rider. There are similarities, but there are specific differences.
The “crown” this rider wears is different from the crown that the Lord Jesus wears. The word “crown” used to describe what is worn by the rider of the white horse is the Greek word stephanos which is a crown won as a prize. The Lord Jesus is portrayed wearing a different kind of crown: "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns" (Rev. 19:12). The word “crowns” is the Greek word diademas which speaks of a royal crown. It is a crown that is inherited because of who the person is, not a crown that has been won or received Please note that the crown of the rider of the white is “given unto him.” His crown was given to him by others. This is a crown that has been won. Jesus did not win His crown because He was victorious. His crown is not a prize He won, but as King of kings, a crown that was His by virtue of Who is, not what He has done.
Furthermore, the rider of the white horse carries a bow. In Revelation 19 we see the Lord Jesus carrying a sword.
The similarities of the rider of the white horse and Christ indicate that this is a false Christ, the antichrist. He comes riding on a white horse because he is a counterfeit of the real Christ. The similarities exist because he presents himself and promotes himself as the Christ. We will learn much more about this rider in later studies but the Bible describes a world leader that will proclaim himself the promised Messiah. During the tribulation period this individual will step onto the stage of the world and will play a leading role in the end-time events.
Notice a couple of features about the anti-Christ as described by verse 2:
A) The Accomplishments of this Rider
The Bible says "he went forth conquering, and to conquer." As a conqueror he is one that will rise to a place and power and rule. He will rise to a place of world-wide leadership. The fact that his crown is given to him, indicates that his place of leadership in the world is one given to him or granted by the other leaders of the world. He will be made the leader of the world by the leaders of the world. He will be handed world dominion.
He is described as carrying a bow, but note he does not carry an arrow or arrows. The indication is that he will conquer without bloodshed. As we would say, he will rise to power without firing a shot. His rise to leadership will not be by military power and strength. How will the anti-Christ rise to conquer the world? He will do so by providing a remedy to the problems of the world and ushering in a time of international peace. He will step onto the world stage when the world has a desperate desire for world peace. That longing for international peace will play right into his hands and he will convince the world that he can bring peace to the world.
Daniel gives us this picture: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week" (Dan. 9:27). The antichrist will lead the world into a peace agreement with Israel. I find it very interesting that the majority of strife in the world involves Israel. It is the hatred of Israel by the Muslim world that has us in war this very hour. The anti-Christ will be a person that will actually create a peace-agreement that will bring a period of peace into the world. "One possibility is that the United Nations will take on the role of a global government. This theory seems to be supported in a speech by then-president George H. W. Bush before Congress on March 6, 1991, following the expulsion of Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
"...We can see a new world coming into view," said Bush. "A world in which there is the very real prospect of a new world order. In the words of Winston Churchill, a 'world order' in which 'the principles of justice and fair play ... protect the weak against the strong ...' A world where the United Nations, freed from cold war stalemate, is poised to fulfill the historic vision of its founders. A world in which freedom and respect for human rights find a home among all nations."
Until recently, the advent of a global government seemed unrealistic, and reserved for conspiracy theorists. But since the acknowledgement by then-president George W. Bush in September 2008 that the United States is indeed "in the midst of a serious financial crisis", there have been numerous calls for a "new world order" by global leaders and prominent intellectuals.
In January, Henry Kissinger told CNBC reporters that the current world economic crisis is a "great opportunity" for President Barack Obama to help form a "new world order." British Prime Minister Gordon Brown actually began the call for a new world order before the acknowledgement of the current financial downturn.
Speaking in June 2007, Brown said: "I believe it will be said of this age, the first decades of the 21st century, that out of the greatest restructuring of the global economy, perhaps even greater than the industrial revolution, a new world order was created."
The British leader has continued to press for a new world order since that speech. Even a few weeks ago he declared the need for a "global new deal."
"Britain and America may be separated by the thousands of miles of the Atlantic, but we are united by shared values that can never be broken. And as America stands at its own dawn of hope, I want that hope to be fulfilled through us all coming together to shape the 21st century as the first century of a truly global society."
Could this "truly global society" be the same society that Bush Sr. spoke of, with the UN fulfilling "the historic vision of its founders"?"
Furthermore, notice:
B) The Appointment of this Rider
It is this accomplishment that makes him the conqueror or leader of the world. It for this reason that he is made the leader of the world by the nations of the world. Because of his accomplishments he is given a crown. The world stage is being set for such a person. This world is desperate for someone who can promise peace and bring peace to the world.
Arnold Toynbe said many years ago: “We are ripe for someone who can promise to give peace and to give tranquility on the earth. We will deify that individual if he comes.”
He will come! I call this rider one of deception because the peace that he will bring to this world will be a false sense of peace. His whole agenda will be one of deception, especially concerning Israel. As we will see in the next rider, this peace will be short lived, as the anti-Christ begins to carry out his real agenda of becoming a world dictator and the ultimate destruction of Israel. |
