Who Is The Rider On The White Horse?

I became interested in Bible Prophecy at around the age of 17, it began with those “Left Behind” novels and other prophecy books released by Tim LaHaye and company…I’m embarrassed to admit that I even read some prophecy books by John Hagee back during that time *shudder*.  I fell hook, line and sinker for the whole “pre-tribulation rapture” bit (it’s a very appealing deception after all, mightily attractive to the flesh…) and believed in it wholeheartedly until the age of 19 when God began to open my eyes to deceptions that held me captive, it was also around that same time that I stopped reading any prophecy books coming from any mainstream christian preachers.  But, during my little foray into mainstream bible prophecy, the one thing that never sat right with me, even back then at the age of 17, was all the prophecy people teaching that the first seal of revelation, the rider on the white horse, was the anti-christ and…he’s not.  I didn’t know why I knew this or how and I certainly didn’t have the wisdom or knowledge to prove it back then, but I just knew that it wasn’t true!

“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

First of all, this rider is on a white horse…Jesus, later on in Revelation, rides a white horse!  The prophecy peoples would say that the white represents a false peace, that this peace would be achieved through smooth speech and flatteries, coming to power by deception (given a crown) and not force hence the bow with no arrows.  And that he would go forth “conquering and to conquer” through bringing a false peace to the entire world.

Secondly, I knew that in ancient warfare the archer was always the first line offensive force in a battle, the archer strikes first.  I knew intrinsically that God would not allow “the battle to end all battles” the great battle to take back planet earth (which is what Revelation depicts) to be initiated by mankind through their false messiah…a.k.a. “the anti-christ”.  NO, this present world system has a timer set on it, they’re being allowed a certain amount of time upon the earth to have “their kingdom” run by Satan and his minions and when time is up God and his forces, the other 2/3’s of the host of heaven along, with his “ground forces” (that be us…hopefully you see where I am going with this now?) will easily put down the enemy and usher in The Kingdom Of God.

The rider on the white horse is God’s first line offensive in the battle to take back planet earth…it’s as simple as that.

This first line offensive, the ground forces of the battle to take back planet earth is “he who overcometh”.  In chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation it talks several times about he who overcometh and what he shall inherit, what he shall be given, what he shall receive and then from there it goes into the first seal which is the rider on the white horse who is given a crown, a bow with no arrows, and goes forth conquering and to conquer….the first clue here is the “conquering and to conquer” which should actually be read “went forth overcoming and to overcome”.  This is the greek word “nikao” which means to subdue (literally or figuratively) — conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory..and in 24 of the 28 times that it occurs in The New Testament it is translated as “overcome”.  Twice as “conquer” once as “prevail” and once as “get the victory”.

This goes all the way back to Jacob and the meaning of the name “Israel”.

“And he (Jacob) rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

And when the man saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with the man.

And the man said, “Let me go, for the day breaketh.”

And Jacob said, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”

And the man said unto him, “What is thy name?” And he said, “Jacob”.

And the man said, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.“

And Jacob asked him, and said, “Tell me, I pray thee, thy name.”

And the man said, “Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?” And the man blessed him there.

And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” ~Genesis 32:22-30

The name “Israel” means “Overcomer”…he that overcomes, he that prevails, he that gets the victory.

You notice how Jacob was winning in the wresting match?  It even looks as if God fought a little bit dirty there by causing Jacob’s thigh to go out of joint during the fight 😆   Jacob would not submit to this “man”, would not submit even to his own father and stole his brother’s blessing through trickery and deceit.  This man, Jacob, his name meaning “heel grabber, supplanter” would submit to no one, not even His Creator and so he had to be injured (much like Paul talking about his “thorn” keeping him humble) in order to get him to submit, all the great ones always need to be brought low before they will submit.  This man had power with God and with men and overcame them BOTH.

A supplanter takes over or takes the place of someone else, usually on purpose. Supplanter often refers to governments and rulers of countries, and it comes from the verb supplant, which evolved from the Latin supplantare, meaning “to trip up or to overthrow”…hence “heel grabber”.  Jacob was the beginning of Israel through whom would come the Messiah and all who believed on Him would then become apart of Israel as well.  The Israel Of God has nothing to do with the manmade country that was given the name and it includes, of course, those Jewish people who believe on Jesus as Messiah but it is not limited to just the Jewish people but includes all people of all cultures or races who believe on Jesus as the Messiah.

Paul refers to this event as “The Manifestation Of The Sons Of God”.

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (adopted into his family “Israel”)

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” ~Romans 8:15-25

Paul said that all of creation is looking for “The Manifestation of The Sons Of God” which is the followers of Jesus coming more and more into their full power (which can only truly be achieved through martyrdom and resurrection), surpassing even that perfection that we had in the Garden Of Eden.  Mainstream churchianity bible prophecy teachers would instead have you looking for “the anti-christ”, the false messiah, as the event which heralds the beginning of the end for planet earth and this is WHY there is no rapture for we believers are INTEGRAL to the battle!!

Now, I am not talking about real bloodshed fighting and all that but spiritual warfare, which is wielded in HOW you live your life (Faith without works is DEAD.).  If you notice The Rider On The White Horse is given a crown and bow with no arrows…

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass (a prophetic picture of Jesus riding into Jerusalem).

And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water (water = holy spirit).

Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope (which is like saying “bondservant of Christ”): even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

When I have bent Judah (the tribe that Messiah came from) for me, filled the bow with Ephraim (Joseph’s half gentile/half hebrew son representative of the completed Israel of God), and raised up thy sons, O Zion (God’s People), against thy sons, O Greece (This present world system aka Rome, Mystery Babylon, etc.) and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.

And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning (HE is the arrow!): and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones (a reference to David, they may look puny and small and weak but they shall posses the power to slay giants!); and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.

((btw the imagery here is awesome! …They shall be filled like bowls at the corners of the altar…those bowls were filled with BLOOD from the sacrifice who is Jesus, the sacrifice to end all sacrifices…they shall drink as though drunk and be FILLED with the blood = Power of His Sacrifice!))

And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. (and there it is “given a crown”) ~Zechariah 9:9-16

And here is another image of Israel/The Overcomers as The Rider On The White Horse:

“The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.

Thou (Israel) art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;

With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;

I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.” ~Jeremiah 51:19-24