THE FOUR HORSEMEN,AL MAHDI AND THE MAGNETIC POLAR REVERSAL
The Four 4 Horsemen, al Mahdi, and the Magnetic Polar Reversal (Part 1)
Commentary on Rev. 6 by Jack Kelley - www.gracethrufaith.com
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" and I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. (Rev 6:1-2)
The first of the seven seals is broken early in the 70th week of Daniel, just after the church has disappeared. Liberal scholars often identify the rider of the white horse as the Lord Jesus, pointing to his crown and the fact that he's a conqueror. I think some part of their conclusion comes from watching all those TV westerns as kids, where the good guys always rode white horses. I say that because this rider is most definitely not Jesus. He's the anti-Christ.
What Makes You Think So?
In the first place he carries a bow. The Lord's weapon of choice is a sword. The reason he has no arrows is that he won't use force to make his initial impact on Earth. He comes as a peacemaker (Daniel 8:25). Since the Book of Revelation is filled with symbolism explained elsewhere in the Bible, I looked for the first mention of a man with a bow, hoping to get an additional clue to this rider's identity. I found it in Genesis 21:20, referring to Ishmael.
As details of Islamic eschatology become more widely known, prophecy students are discovering a striking similarity between descriptions of al Mahdi, the Moslem Messiah, and a figure Christians call the anti-Christ. I've made mention of these in previous articles, how both come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign, both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings Earth's final judgment.
The number of similarities between the two defies coincidence and continues to grow as knowledge of al Mahdi increases. Now with the connection between the Bible's first archer and the man with a bow in Rev. 6, another piece of the puzzle may have fallen into place. Mohammed was descended from Kedar, second son of Ishmael, and Al Mahdi is the 12th Iman descended from Mohammed. Jack Kinsella, in his commentary entitled "The Third Pillar of anti-Christ" makes an excellent case for Islam being the religion of anti-Christ. (The Omega Letter Intelligence Digest Vol: 53 Issue: 25 - Saturday, February 25, 2006 www.omegaletter.com) When you read it, you'll understand that after the Church is gone, those who also call themselves the church, but have been left behind, won't have much trouble at all accepting Islam. And like Paul said, the addition of a few "miracles" into the mix will be all it takes to deceive the whole world (2 Thes.2:9).
Got Anything Else?
In the second place this guy's wearing the wrong kind of crown. The Greek word for a King's crown is diadem. But this one wears a stephanos, or victor's crown. It was the award given to winners in the ancient Olympics and other public games. It was typically an ivy wreath, and in fact the word stephanos comes from a root meaning wreath. It identifies the wearer as a conqueror, but not as royalty. And in Revelation 13 where the Great Tribulation begins, we're told that He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (Rev. 13:7) Why would Jesus make war with the tribulation saints to conquer them? Like I said, while he fools people into thinking he's the Christ, he's really the anti-Christ.
When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. (Rev. 6:3-4)
This is the point at which the anti-Christ turns to war to establish his authority over human governments and turn the world toward his religion. The Moslem prophecies say this will be Islam, of course, and the Koran teaches conversion or death as the only alternatives available to non-believers. Current studies speculate that Europe, far into its post Christian era, may already be on the verge of yielding to the growing Moslem influence, but other parts of the world will resist, causing much bloodshed.
If You Think This Is Bad …
Historically, the great sword was a long two-handed weapon wielded by mighty warriors who received double the average soldier's wage. With overwhelming strength they hacked their way through enemy lines, leaving a gaping hole for the regular troops who followed. In just this way the anti-Christ will use supernatural power to tighten his grip on the world, enforcing his will upon the people of Earth. And remember, the Seal judgments are just the beginning of Daniel's 70th week. The last half, called the Great Tribulation, is still to come and is significantly more deadly.
When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!" (Rev 6:5-6)
Two things result when the world is plunged into uncertainty and wars erupt. First comes inflation, causing the prices of everything to skyrocket. When John wrote this, a denarius was the average pay for a day's work, and that's what it will cost to buy a quart of wheat, about enough food for one day. Think of it. For many, a whole days wages will barely buy enough food for that day. The next day it starts all over again. No money left for anything else.
Of course, the wealthy always benefit from inflation. When they see it coming, they're able to convert their wealth into things that are either inflation proof, or actually increase in value during periods of inflation. The earliest example of this is comes from the Book of Genesis, when Joseph, who gained control of the world's wheat supply on Pharaoh's behalf, eventually acquired the entire wealth of Egypt in exchange for it. That's what John meant by not harming the oil and wine, commodities that in his day were symbols of wealth. The vision he saw was famine amidst plenty. Both the Book of Daniel and the Moslem prophecies speak of the anti-Christ/al Mahdi showering lavish gifts on his followers while forcing his enemies into submission. (Daniel 11:39)
When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. (Rev. 6:7-8)
The second result of war is famine and pestilence. Crops and food processing facilities are destroyed. Transportation networks are disrupted. Dead bodies are left where they fall and public health systems break down. Mass starvation and rampant disease often claim more victims than the battles that caused them. Animals become desperate for food and attack humans. Some think the phrase "a fourth of the Earth" relates to geography and some think it describes the number of people involved. Either way, many will suffer and die during this time, while those not in the direct path of war will enjoy a false sense of peace and prosperity.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. (Rev. 6:9-11)
Just as the church has a fixed number to achieve before its time on Earth is fulfilled (Romans 11:25) so it is for believers who're martyred for their faith following the Church's disappearance.
__________________________________________________________________
Maranatha ! - (Lord Come Quickly)
Commentary on Rev. 6 by Jack Kelley - www.gracethrufaith.com
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" and I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. (Rev 6:1-2)
The first of the seven seals is broken early in the 70th week of Daniel, just after the church has disappeared. Liberal scholars often identify the rider of the white horse as the Lord Jesus, pointing to his crown and the fact that he's a conqueror. I think some part of their conclusion comes from watching all those TV westerns as kids, where the good guys always rode white horses. I say that because this rider is most definitely not Jesus. He's the anti-Christ.
What Makes You Think So?
In the first place he carries a bow. The Lord's weapon of choice is a sword. The reason he has no arrows is that he won't use force to make his initial impact on Earth. He comes as a peacemaker (Daniel 8:25). Since the Book of Revelation is filled with symbolism explained elsewhere in the Bible, I looked for the first mention of a man with a bow, hoping to get an additional clue to this rider's identity. I found it in Genesis 21:20, referring to Ishmael.
As details of Islamic eschatology become more widely known, prophecy students are discovering a striking similarity between descriptions of al Mahdi, the Moslem Messiah, and a figure Christians call the anti-Christ. I've made mention of these in previous articles, how both come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign, both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings Earth's final judgment.
The number of similarities between the two defies coincidence and continues to grow as knowledge of al Mahdi increases. Now with the connection between the Bible's first archer and the man with a bow in Rev. 6, another piece of the puzzle may have fallen into place. Mohammed was descended from Kedar, second son of Ishmael, and Al Mahdi is the 12th Iman descended from Mohammed. Jack Kinsella, in his commentary entitled "The Third Pillar of anti-Christ" makes an excellent case for Islam being the religion of anti-Christ. (The Omega Letter Intelligence Digest Vol: 53 Issue: 25 - Saturday, February 25, 2006 www.omegaletter.com) When you read it, you'll understand that after the Church is gone, those who also call themselves the church, but have been left behind, won't have much trouble at all accepting Islam. And like Paul said, the addition of a few "miracles" into the mix will be all it takes to deceive the whole world (2 Thes.2:9).
Got Anything Else?
In the second place this guy's wearing the wrong kind of crown. The Greek word for a King's crown is diadem. But this one wears a stephanos, or victor's crown. It was the award given to winners in the ancient Olympics and other public games. It was typically an ivy wreath, and in fact the word stephanos comes from a root meaning wreath. It identifies the wearer as a conqueror, but not as royalty. And in Revelation 13 where the Great Tribulation begins, we're told that He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (Rev. 13:7) Why would Jesus make war with the tribulation saints to conquer them? Like I said, while he fools people into thinking he's the Christ, he's really the anti-Christ.
When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. (Rev. 6:3-4)
This is the point at which the anti-Christ turns to war to establish his authority over human governments and turn the world toward his religion. The Moslem prophecies say this will be Islam, of course, and the Koran teaches conversion or death as the only alternatives available to non-believers. Current studies speculate that Europe, far into its post Christian era, may already be on the verge of yielding to the growing Moslem influence, but other parts of the world will resist, causing much bloodshed.
If You Think This Is Bad …
Historically, the great sword was a long two-handed weapon wielded by mighty warriors who received double the average soldier's wage. With overwhelming strength they hacked their way through enemy lines, leaving a gaping hole for the regular troops who followed. In just this way the anti-Christ will use supernatural power to tighten his grip on the world, enforcing his will upon the people of Earth. And remember, the Seal judgments are just the beginning of Daniel's 70th week. The last half, called the Great Tribulation, is still to come and is significantly more deadly.
When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!" (Rev 6:5-6)
Two things result when the world is plunged into uncertainty and wars erupt. First comes inflation, causing the prices of everything to skyrocket. When John wrote this, a denarius was the average pay for a day's work, and that's what it will cost to buy a quart of wheat, about enough food for one day. Think of it. For many, a whole days wages will barely buy enough food for that day. The next day it starts all over again. No money left for anything else.
Of course, the wealthy always benefit from inflation. When they see it coming, they're able to convert their wealth into things that are either inflation proof, or actually increase in value during periods of inflation. The earliest example of this is comes from the Book of Genesis, when Joseph, who gained control of the world's wheat supply on Pharaoh's behalf, eventually acquired the entire wealth of Egypt in exchange for it. That's what John meant by not harming the oil and wine, commodities that in his day were symbols of wealth. The vision he saw was famine amidst plenty. Both the Book of Daniel and the Moslem prophecies speak of the anti-Christ/al Mahdi showering lavish gifts on his followers while forcing his enemies into submission. (Daniel 11:39)
When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. (Rev. 6:7-8)
The second result of war is famine and pestilence. Crops and food processing facilities are destroyed. Transportation networks are disrupted. Dead bodies are left where they fall and public health systems break down. Mass starvation and rampant disease often claim more victims than the battles that caused them. Animals become desperate for food and attack humans. Some think the phrase "a fourth of the Earth" relates to geography and some think it describes the number of people involved. Either way, many will suffer and die during this time, while those not in the direct path of war will enjoy a false sense of peace and prosperity.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. (Rev. 6:9-11)
Just as the church has a fixed number to achieve before its time on Earth is fulfilled (Romans 11:25) so it is for believers who're martyred for their faith following the Church's disappearance.
__________________________________________________________________
Maranatha ! - (Lord Come Quickly)
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