Revelation 6:1,2

Chapter 6 - Jesus opens the first six seals

The Lamb will now open the seven seals from the scroll one at a time and John will tell us what he sees. The period of time John will be observing in Revelation is also spoken of in the prophecies of Daniel and by Jesus in the Olivet discourse (Mat Chapter s 24-25). This  trilogy of passages  should be studied and correlated by the wise student when seeking truth about these end time events.

1 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.

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.

One of the four creatures tells John to go and see what the breaking of the first seal will bring. Since John was in heaven, he had to look at the events taking place on earth. He hears a noise of thunder; whatever John is about to see will get the world's attention.

John sees a white horse with a rider who has a bow. The role of this rider is to conquer. Some think that the rider on this white horse is Jesus Christ since he has a crown and rides a white horse. They say that this is a picture of the world being led to Christ (mostly those in postmillennial or amillennial theology hold this view). This view is problematic for a couple of reasons. We will see later in this book that Jesus actually wears many golden crowns of royalty and not just a simple victor's garland like the word crown could be translated here.

If this is Jesus, He is in riding in the company of three evil riders who soon follow. Many conquerors of the past have ridden white horses so the fact that the rider is on a white horse proves nothing about whom he is. The weapon Jesus uses in other scripture passages is a two-edged sword so a bow is totally out of character for Him.

If that is not enough to prove it is not Jesus, Christianity even as an identity is not conquering in the world. Christianity is actually losing ground in percentages of the world population. Furthermore, those who are truly Christian are a very small minority of those that claim a cultural identity with it. Another logical reason why it cannot be Jesus is that Jesus was in heaven with John opening the seal at the time that John was shown this rider on the earth.

It is clear to me that this is not Jesus. This rider is a great future world leader. The bow is a symbol of his control over weapons of war. Since the rider shows no arrows it could mean that he conquers by the threat of the power he displays and when this rider rides, he does not conquer using actual military force.  Daniel tells us there is one who is coming who "by peace will destroy many".

Daniel 8:25  And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and  by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

Most premillenial experts in bible prophecy believe that this rider is the world leader that later will be indwelt by Satan and become the Beast Antichrist. This passage may be speaking of his rise to power on earth that establishes the revived Roman Empire.