By F. D. Adkins
Have you ever been hurt or let down by someone you trusted? Have you ever bought a product only to discover it did not work as the advertisement led you to believe? In a world where scams are on the rise, we know to be cautious yet often find ourselves falling prey to the newest money-making scheme, the bargain price of the century, or the latest gadget that will turn a six-hour task into a push of a button or sculpt our bodies without even having to move.
Quite a few years ago, before robot vacuums and smart appliances, I had seen an advertisement for this machine that vacuumed and mopped at the same time. I was so excited because most of our house was tile and wood, so being able to sweep and mop with one swipe meant the chore would be finished in half the time, right? Well, that is what I thought. Come to find out, the water chamber was so tiny that I spent more time filling the machine with water and cleaner than if I had just swept and mopped as usual.
This week, I continued my trek diving into the Book of Revelation, and as I journeyed into chapter six, I was immediately reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:15 (KJV). He tells us, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 19:15 KJV).
In Revelation 6, the first seal is opened, and John sees a white horse… and on that white horse is the head honcho of the wolf pack. How do we know the rider is in disguise? The scripture says this rider has a bow and is given a crown (Revelation 6:2 KJV). Would Jesus have a bow… and would Jesus not already have a crown? If we look back at Revelation 2:11, when Jesus is giving His message to the church at Pergamos, He refers to Himself as “…he which hath the sharp sword with two edges” (KJV). And then, jumping a bit further over in Revelation to the actual return of Jesus, it says, “…and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True,… and on his head were many crowns;… And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword… (Revelation 19:11-12, 15 KJV). He has no bow… Jesus has a sword. He is not given a crown… He has many crowns!
What else indicates that this rider in chapter six is an imitator of Christ? Well, this beautiful white horse in verse two is followed by war, “And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword” (Revelation 6:3 KJV), poverty, “…And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine” (Revelation 6:5-6 KJV), and death, “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:8 KJV).
If you read last week’s blog, it was this study on chapter six that caused me to pause and think about the Rapture. As I shared in that post, I believe, at this point, God’s children have been raptured, and those in Christ are not experiencing the horrors occurring on earth (the tribulation period). Therefore, the events in the Book of Revelation should not frighten us but rather remind us of how imperative it is to be ready and certain that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Hebrews 3:15 says, “…To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts,…” (KJV). I pray we all respond to His voice and open the door of our hearts… BECAUSE JESUS SAYS, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42 KJV).
