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I. WHO IS THIS RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE?
A. There are some who have tried to tie him to the second coming of Jesus Christ on a white horse.
1. Some real problems with this.
a. The coming of Jesus on a white horse does not happen until chapter 19.
b. The white horse is followed by the red horse of war, the black horse of famine, and the white horse of death.
c. Jesus is coming to abolish war. "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks and they shall study war no more."
d. There will be an agricultural surplus when Jesus returns, Speaking of that day Isaiah said:
ISA 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
B. It would appear that the white horse rider is the Anti-christ.
1. He is going to deceive the world into thinking that he is the messiah.
2. Thus it would only be fitting that he comes with the disguise of the white horse.
3. Look how well that fits with the whole picture.
a. Chapters 2 and 3 deal with the church and it's ministry through it's history.
b. The church is raptured at the beginning of chapter 4. We then move into the things that will take place after the things of the church.
c. In chapter 5 we find the church in heaven singing of the worthiness of the Lamb to take the scroll and loose the seals, for He was slain and has redeemed us by His blood out of ever kindred, tongue, people, and nation.
d. Chapter 6 begins the events of the great tribulation that shall come upon mankind that has rebelled against the authority of God.
e. Through chapters 6 to 18 as the great tribulation is happening here on the earth, there is no mention of the church.
f. The church does not appear again in the book of Revelation until we move back into the heavenly scene in chapter 19.
C. The man of sin can not be revealed until the force that is hindering his taking over of the full power is removed from the world.
2TH 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2TH 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now hinders will hinder, until he be taken out of the way.
1. The presence of the Holy Spirit within the church in the world is the hindering force that is holding back the powers of evil that are ready to take over the world the moment the church is gone.
2. When the angels were on the way to destroy the city of Sodom because of the wickedness, Abraham sought to intercede for the city, knowing that his nephew lived there. He asked: "Shall not the Lord of the earth be just? What if there are fifty righteous men in the city of Sodom. The Lord said that He would spare the city for the sake of the fifty righteous. As Abraham continued to intercede the Lord finally consented to spare the city if but ten righteous might be found.
3. We know the story, there were not even ten righteous men in the city of Sodom, only one and that was Lot. The angels hastened Lot out of the city declaring that they could not destroy the city until Lot was safely out of it. Making a comment on that event Peter wrote, "For the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:"
4. Jesus spoke of iniquity abounding upon the earth just prior to His return.
a. If it is this bad, with the restraining power of the church in the world, think of what it will be as soon as the church is removed.
b. As we move on in the book of Revelation, you will see that all hell is going to break out on the earth. I am speaking literally.
II. ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES THE ANTI-CHRIST IS GOING TO COME OUT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY OF NATIONS.
A. It is interesting that the scriptures predicted in the last days that the world dominating power would be a federation of European nations.
B. It predicted that there would rise a man to lead this federation of nations, that would be Satan incarnate. That Satan will give him his power and his throne. This tells us that Satan is still in control over the earth. What he offered to Jesus, the kingdoms and glory of this world, he will give to the man of sin.
1. Paul tells us of this man of sin, known commonly as the Anti- christ:
2TH 2:9 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2TH 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2.
Revelation 13 tells us that the false prophet who leads the earth to follow the Anti-christ:
REV 13:12 Exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
REV 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
REV 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;
3. In both passages it speaks of the deception.
4. Jesus warned:
MAT 24:24 For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
a. The elect in the 24th chapter of Matthew are not the church, but Israel.
b. The scripture indicates that they will at the first hail him as the Messiah, but then will awake to the deception.
1. Jesus said, "I have come in My Father's name and you did not receive Me, another will come in his own name, him you will receive."
2. The turmoil that is being experienced in the Middle-east between Israel and the Muslim extremist seems to defy a solution.
3. They talk again of getting the peace process moving now that they have elected a new prime minister in Israel.
4. This coming man of sin will offer a solution that will be acceptable to both sides, and will allow Israel to rebuild the temple.
5. To the Jew today who is looking for the Messiah, that is the sign they are looking for. The one who will lead them to the rebuilding of the temple.
6. The Jews will realize that they have been deceived when this man of sin stands in the rebuilt temple and declares that he must be worshipped as God.
7. They will then turn against him and he will bring persecution against the Jews similar to that of Hitler.
c. Both Daniel and John speak of him making war against the saints.
Dan 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
REV 13:7 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.
1. The fact that he overcomes them proves that they are not the church.
2. Jesus said, "I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
d. Speaking of these days, Jesus said: "These are the beginning of sorrows."
e. This is just the start, it will get much worse.
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
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