I do not know if this was addressed or not, but this has been nagging at my mind for the past couple of days and I wanted your guys' opinions. Please back up your "belief" as to why you think one way or another so that I will have something to weigh in my mind.

Okay, so I keep getting this impression that the white horse is NOT what we originally believed it to be (i.e. the Antichrist). Could it be possible, that we may be wrong?

For example, let's start here: the red horse is a "force" (i.e. that of war), the black horse is a "force" (i.e. famine/economic collapse), and the pale horse is a "force" (i.e. death). So wouldn't it make sense that the white horse as well is a "force" and not a person?

Can the white horse mean simply just deception, as opposed to the AC? Why are we so sure that the white horse is the AC? Where did this belief come from b/c I can't find anything in the Bible that would suggest this and I've been looking for two days.

And how about Matthew 24: Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. (He says "many" so can't this just be deception as a force and not a one man individual?) 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars (2nd seal), but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines (3rd seal)and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

I see so much correlation between Matthew 24 and Revelation 6.

Like for example, we have this whole "thou shalt not judge" movement going on which is even fooling the elect. Christians are told that a true Christian would not judge a person and should be loving and accepting and this in essence is nothing more than deception of the elect. The Bible is very clear about things such as homosexuality, yet if we take on this belief that we should accept them and let God do the judging then we are failing to rebuke in love and are allowing the lost to become further lost.

Then look at all the filth that the Pope spews forth, this is more deception. These beliefs are nothing more than saying "I am Jesus, and if you are like Me, you will accept these people" and this is NOT Jesus. And the elect are being fooled.

I just keep getting this nagging feeling inside about this, I think we may be off on some of our traditional beliefs, but what are your thoughts?

You make a good point in saying that the other horsemen appear to embody concepts, such as war, famine, and death. The first horseman could also represent deception, as Matthew 24 runs parallel to Revelation 6, and the first thing mentioned is, "Take heed that no one deceives you."

I would agree that the rider of the white horse is not directly identified as the antichrist. One possible reason is that at the start of the Tribulation he is still an ordinary person. Or it could be that the rider is the "antichrist spirit" that rules the day, and the individual who most fully exemplifies that spirit will become the ruler of the world.

It must be conceded that the identification of the white horseman with the Antichrist is largely from deduction and not something that is specified. Prophecy is often multi-layered, so saying it means "this" and nothing more is not always easy to do.

I've wondered, and most probably read somewhere..

Wether the White Horse could be Catholicism & false Christianity, and the Red Horse could be the Moslems...

No great scripture to back that up with I'm afraid....

Sparkles you have some very interesting observations about who might this White Horseman be!! I too think it is a force that is about to be unsealed but as with all the other three horseman and to their timed released-we may be seeing a possible preparation of their movements as they prepare themselves to ride across the globe once the angels on the four corners in Revelation 7 are allowed to let their restraining forces go--this White Horse rider to me is most likely a socialism force that is conquering the minds of many peoples with having the government of the anti-christ be in control of everyone's lives--I need not mention who is leading the charge in this socialism doctrine--this is all false teaching dressed up in red hammer and sickle!!

Here is what I believe the white horse is:

"Fair Use for Education and Discussion Purposes"

Revelation 6:2 - "And I looked, and behold, a white horse."

The four living creatures announce the arrival of four horses in the first four seals. Each horse has a rider, but the attention is initially drawn to the horse. The horses' prominence over the horsemen should draw us to seek meaning in other Scripture to their significance. As shown in the introduction, these horses are found in the book of Zechariah and tied to God's judgment.

Recall from Revelation 1:14, the color white usually represents purity and cleansing from sin (Isaiah 1:18, Psalms 51:5-7). However, in the context of this passage in Revelation, white symbolizes conquest. Incidentally, great military leaders like Alexander the Great, Napoleon and others are often found riding white horses in portraits.

The Tribulation begins with the arrival of a white horse with a conquering rider, and ends with the arrival of a white horse with a conquering rider:

Revelation 19:11-15 - Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

These two white horses, however, are not the same. As discussed in the introduction, the first white horse on conquest has connections to the other three horses that follow. The white horse that comes at the end of the Tribulation also has a rider coming in conquest, but this horse is not connected to the other horses of war, desolation, and death, and its rider comes to put an end to the judgments. In other words, while both white horses come in conquest, the first wreaks havoc in destruction and the last comes to bring peace to the world. The rider of the last white horse is clearly the Lord Jesus Christ, the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). The rider of the first white horse is different, as noted below:



Revelation 6:2 - "He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."

The rider of the first white horse carries a bow. A bow is a weapon of war:

1 Chronicles 5:18 - The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war.

Isaiah 21:15 - For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, From the bent bow, and from the distress of war.

Jeremiah 6:23 - They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.

2 Samuel 22:35 - He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

God uses the bow in judgment:

Psalms 7:11-12 - God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day. If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready.

Jeremiah 46:9-10 - Come up, O horses, and rage, O chariots! And let the mighty men come forth: The Ethiopians and the Libyans who handle the shield, And the Lydians who handle and bend the bow. For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, A day of vengeance, That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. The sword shall devour; It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; For the Lord GOD of hosts has a sacrifice In the north country by the River Euphrates.

Jeremiah 50:14-15 - "Put yourselves in array against Babylon all around, All you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, spare no arrows, For she has sinned against the LORD. Shout against her all around; She has given her hand, Her foundations have fallen, Her walls are thrown down; For it is the vengeance of the LORD. Take vengeance on her. As she has done, so do to her."

Lamentations 2:4 - Standing like an enemy, He has bent His bow; With His right hand, like an adversary, He has slain all who were pleasing to His eye; On the tent of the daughter of Zion, He has poured out His fury like fire.

Zechariah 9:13 - For I have bent Judah, My bow, Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Greece, And made you like the sword of a mighty man.

The first white horse comes in conquest. Many believe that the rider of this white horse is the antichrist, as he will set out to conquer the nations:

Daniel 11:39-44 - Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.

Daniel 8:24 - His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.

Conquest doesn't necessarily come with war. Some believe that because arrows are not mentioned with the bow, the rider of the first white horse comes to conquer in diplomacy. However, there are other passages where arrows are not mentioned, but implied:

2 Samuel 1:22 - From the blood of the slain, From the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty.

1 Kings 22:34 - Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded."

2 Chronicles 17:17 - Of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield.

That being said, the antichrist does begin his conquest in diplomacy, before using military means to expand his power. (Note: The following prophecy in Daniel 11 was partly fulfilled in history by Antiochus Epiphanes, but complete fulfillment is yet future in the antichrist):

Daniel 11:21-24 - And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

Daniel 9:26-27 - ...And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary... he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week....

This covenant of peace is a false peace and a "covenant with death" (Isaiah 28:15-22), in contrast to the true covenant of peace, which the Lord will make with Israel when He returns:

Ezekiel 34:25, 27-28 - I will make a covenant of peace with them.... They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid.

Recall from Zechariah 6:5, the four horses the Lord sends out in judgment, including the white horse, are spirit beings. The passages below describe similar spirit horses with riders that are spirit beings as well:

2 Kings 2:11-12 - Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.

Joel 2:3-5, 7-9, 11 - A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.... They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down. They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief.... The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?

The rider of the white horse is not the antichrist himself, as he is a man (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Rather, the evidence suggests that the rider is the spirit of lawlessness. There are at least two archers in Scripture who were antichrist types, which support this notion. The first archer in the Bible was Ishmael (Genesis 21:21). Another famous archer was Esau (Genesis 27:1-4). As shown in the study: "Nationality of the Antichrist," the spirit of lawlessness has manifest in the offspring of Ishmael and Esau. The antichrist may even be offspring from this same cursed line. Whether or not this is the case, the antichrist will certainly be operating in the spirit of lawlessness.

Note the white horse or its rider cannot be the spirit of antichrist. The spirit of antichrist works to deny Christ:

1 John 4:2-3 - By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

The man who will be the antichrist will work in both the spirit of antichrist, denying Christ, and the spirit of lawlessness, set out to conquer by any means.

The rider on the first white horse wears a crown. The crown of the first rider is a "stephanos." As discussed in the "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" study, the "stephanos" is the victor's crown. In the ancient Olympics, judges awarded ivy crowns or wreaths, called "stephanos," to the winners of the various events at the "Bema." They still do this at the Olympics and other athletic events today, using medals instead of crowns. This crown is different from the crowns the Lord Jesus Christ wears when He returns on the last white horse in Revelation.

The Lord has "diadems," or crowns of royalty on His head when He returns to Earth (Revelation 19:12). That being said, the Lord does wear the "stephanos" in Revelation 14:14, when He harvests the last of the souls of the Tribulation Saints to Heaven, before He returns. Wearing the "stephanos" in this instance shows the Lord's victory in winning souls, in the midst of the trials of the Tribulation.

The crown of thorns put on the Lord's head at His crucifixion is also called a "stephanos" (Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2, 5). The thorns represent His rejection (Hebrews 6:8). But this rejection led to victory over sin and death because of the cross (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). In contrast, when the Lord returns wearing "diadems," it symbolizes His royalty as "King of kings":

Revelation 19:12, 16 - ...on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.... And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Since the "stephanos" is a crown of victory, the rider of the first white horse wearing this type of crown signifies victory in his conquest:

Revelation 13:4-7 - So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Daniel 8:23-25 - "And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. "Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.""

The reason the antichrist will be successful in conquest through the Tribulation period, is because of the unrestrained spirit of lawlessness working through him until the Lord returns:

2 Thessalonians 2:7-9 - For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.

In short, the white horse rides out in judgment when the Lamb of God breaks the first seal on the "purchase deed" to the earth. The rider on the white horse has characteristics of the antichrist, but other scriptures show that the horses and their riders sent out by God are spirit beings. Therefore, the first white horse and his rider represent the spirit of lawlessness, who operates through the antichrist in victorious conquest, first by diplomacy, and later by military force.

http://www.trackingbibleprophecy.org/revelation6B.php#2a

Email: amy@trackingbibleprophecy.org

Website: www.trackingbibleprophecy.org

Very good points have been made here. Amy, thank you for sharing from your website here in this study. The spirit of lawlessness makes great sense and we certainly see the fullness of it these days. It is also deceptive in nature and clouds he landscape around us. Socialism can fit into this lawlessness also. The brainwashing tactics being used to make evil sound good and good, evil. It causes the satanic qualities of chaos, confusion, raises doubt, promotes one getting his own way and traveling the broad road in the process. All the errors mankind faces when not walking on the straight and narrow path with Jesus. When truth is dismissed and lies accepted in it's place there is a price to pay; lawlessness and evil come to the fore.

Christians have to judge between good and evil; right and wrong. It's not so much judging others but trying to get them to see truth and avoid lies. But the enemy will call it anything else to make it seem wrong and evil in the eyes of the deceived. The spiritual battle is a fierce one and especially right now!

Email: victorychanter@raptureintheairnow.com

Website: Rapture In the Air Now

Thank you everyone for your responses!

With all that was said above, I have to ask another question: Is it possible that this seal may have already been opened? I mean it hasn't always been as deceptive as it is now, has it? It seems like it is getting increasingly bad nowadays and how much worse can it get? Not to mention that there are wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, pestilences, and a whole lot of people dying in a "quarter part" of the world....isn't there? And hasn't there been an uptick in Christian persecution all over the world, even here in the US?

How can we be so certain as to what signs we are to be looking for, if what is going on in the world right now wasn't meant to be "THE" signs, what is it that is going on?

I see all these things going on and then I hear of the prophesies of a "coming darkness" and of "earthquakes" and of "satan's angels falling from the sky" and of "tsunami's", etc, etc, etc, and then I look at the 6th seal and sure enough, it talks of a darkness coming, earthquakes, and "stars falling." I have for some time now felt that the great multitude before the throne of God was the rapture, but as days pass by and things get worse and worse, I wonder why am I the only one who feels like the 6th seal is the rapture? There must be something wrong with what I'm feeling, seeing, hearing, etc since I am the only one who feels that way and I don't understand. I've been looking, and looking, these past few days for some evidence in the Bible that the rapture is prior to the opening of the seals and I just can't find it and now I have to ask if whether I am being deceived by some spirit other than God's, because if not, then that means everything everyone else believes is wrong. I'm feeling tormented right now

Sparkles, I have put forward my two pre-trib rapture theory a couple of times now, only to be corrected by those that believe there will be one, but I agree with you that it looks like at the sixth seal there will be a multitude in Heaven...

I wonder wether there will be a first fruits rapture before the first seal is opened, and then those that believe and repent after the first fruits rapture (all of those that God says need to repent in the letters to the churches) will be Raptured at the 6th seal.

You're not mad!!!! Well maybe just a bit... X

Hi Sparkles. I know it can be confusing at times but God's Spirit always illumines the Word for us.

No, I don't think the 6th seal is the rapture because we see the 24 elders already in heaven even before the 1st seal is opened. When John is seeing all these things, John identified more closely with the 24 elders than the great multitude in Revelation 7.

The 6th seal is when the great multitude is completed but they're not the church. They're the ones who are martyred before the Great Tribulation and are not subjected to the mark of the beast.

Humblehorse, there is only one rapture for sure. Also, if you look at the seven letters to the churches, they appear to correlate with the 7 seals.

1st church/1st Seal (if that seal stands for deception/apostasy): They didn't fall for "deception" and rebuked the "deceivers" but they are lacking in "love" (is this love/compassion for mankind or love for Jesus?)

2nd church/2nd seal: They are the "slandered" church who are afflicted and in poverty and who will suffer persecution for 10 days. (War=attacked/slandered/afficted/?)

3rd Church/3rd seal: hold to teachings of Balaam who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating FOOD sacrificed to idols. Jesus told them whoever repented would be given the hidden MANNA. (famine-food-manna)

4th church/4th seal: Those who commit adultery w/Jezebel and follow false teachings will suffer intensely and her (Jezebel's) children will die unless they repent. (Death)

5th Church/5th seal: "appear alive but are dead." Here there is a distinguishing between those who have soiled their linens and those who haven't. Maybe these are people who put more value on their life than on their love for Jesus and these are the ones who will have to go to death in faith? Persecution could be a "refining fire" or a test of faith.

6th Church/6th seal: the FAITHFUL church! These are the ones who have obeyed His commandments and He tells THIS church "I AM COMING SOON don't lose faith." (i.e. the rapture for the faithful)

7th church/7th seal: the "Lukewarm" church whom Jesus does "not know." He warns them that if they do not WAKE up he will "spew" them out of his mouth. If the rapture is 6th seal, this is the message he gives those who are about to face the tribulation for failing to heed the warnings in the previous 6 letters and/or 6 seals.


I just see the whole seal process as a "waking" up or a "gathering" process. How many of us have been "awaken" over the past year or two? How many of us have ears that heard or eyes that began to see and can't explain how it was that we "woke" up? Could it have been the Holy Spirit delivering these letters to each person based on the condition of our hearts?

I don't know. The more I study the more I get confused, and the more I feel like I don't know anything anymore. I don't know if He comes pre-1st seal, 6th seal, pre-trib, pre-wrath, or not at all. Everything is just so confusing right now. When I think things make sense and I think I see things as clear as glass I find myself standing alone in that thought. My husband thinks I'm going crazy and I think I have to agree with him.

Pay no mind to my crazy rantings in all of this, I'm just trying to get some thoughts off my mind. Maybe if I just discuss them with someone (you guys unfortunately) they will just go away....LOL.

And mods, I'm sorry if this whole post breaks rules, feel free to delete it, I won't mind. But if you do have something that can clear some of these thoughts up please share!

The spirit of lawlessness is unrestrained after the rapture:

"Fair Use for Education and Discussion Purposes"

The work of the Holy Spirit restrains evil:

Isaiah 59:19 - ...When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

John 16:7-8 - Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

1 John 3:4-9 - Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

1 John 3:24 - Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

We see in the passages above, that in the "dispensation of grace," the Holy Spirit restrains evil through conviction. In the "dispensation of the Law," God restrained evil through the Law and the Holy Spirit convicting people through the prophets (Zechariah 7:12). In the "dispensation of judgment," evil will go unrestrained (2 Thessalonians 2:5-10). Therefore, the restraining work of the Holy Spirit will be suspended during the "dispensation of judgment":

2 Thessalonians 2:5-10 - Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

http://www.trackingbibleprophecy.org/rapture.php#restrains

Restrainer taken with the Church:

A few sections back, we discussed that the "restrainer" in the following passage is the Holy Spirit:

2 Thessalonians 2:5-10 - Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

The Holy Spirit has sealed believers until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14). If the Holy Spirit is "taken out of the way," so must the Church. The saying goes: "If you take the restrainer, you take the container." The rapture event will take the restrainer "out of the way."

http://www.trackingbibleprophecy.org/rapture.php#restrainer

Email: amy@trackingbibleprophecy.org

Website: www.trackingbibleprophecy.org

Also consider the four winds in Revelation:

"Fair Use For Education and Discussion Purposes"

Revelation 7:1 - "I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree."

The use of "four winds" in Scripture is generally used to denote a global scope:

Jeremiah 49:36 - Against Elam I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven, And scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.

Ezekiel 37:9-10 - Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." ' " So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Daniel 8:8 - Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.

Daniel 11:3-4 - Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven...

Zechariah 2:6 - "Up, up! Flee from the land of the north," says the LORD; "for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven," says the LORD.

Matthew 24:31 - And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Mark 13:27 - And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

Only the passage in Daniel shows the "four winds" as something other than a collective term used for the four cardinal directions:

Daniel 7:2-3 - Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other."

The four great beasts are the four empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome), or the four horns God used to exile Judah (Zechariah 1:18-21). God used the "four spirits" in judgment and conquest of each succeeding empire (Zechariah 6:6-7). The word for "spirit" in Hebrew is "ruach," and in Greek "an'emos," which can also be translated as "wind." The Greek Septuagint translates "spirits" in Zechariah 6:5 as the same Greek word translated "winds" here in Revelation.

In other words, the "four winds" in Daniel and Revelation are the same as the "four spirits" in Zechariah, which are the four horses in Revelation 6, as shown in the Zechariah study. Therefore, John sees the four angels restraining the "four winds," which are the four horses before they ride out in judgment, which supports this chapter being an interlude that begins before Revelation 6, as discussed in the last section.

http://www.trackingbibleprophecy.org/revelation7A.php#1b

*** In other words, the 144,000 Jewish servants are sealed before the 1st Seal is broken. ***

Email: amy@trackingbibleprophecy.org

Website: www.trackingbibleprophecy.org

But if the Holy Spirit is "removed" from the world, how will people receive the gift of faith and be led to salvation? Isn't it the Holy Spirit that moves us towards redemption? So if there is no Holy Spirit, how can others be saved?

I've heard others say that the "restrainer" is Michael the angel who protects Israel and that in the middle of the tribulation he is called up to heaven to kick satan out of heaven and it is at this time that the AC is revealed and commits the abomination of desolation b/c Michael is not there to stop him. This makes more sense to me. I feel like the Holy Spirit is still going to be around, but I could be wrong on that too. The Holy Spirit can exist outside of our bodies, so just b/c we are taken doesn't mean that he is....does it?

*** In other words, the 144,000 Jewish servants are sealed before the 1st Seal is broken. ***

But I thought Revelations was chronological....why would that be in the 6th seal if it happens before the first?

I actually have a slightly different interpretation than Amy. I believe Revelation is highly chronological except for some parenthetical chapters. I think the 6th seal is when the Jewish evangelists are sealed which means the first 6 seals could serve as the gap between the rapture and the 70th week. But it's not set in stone, and I actually vacillate between this theory and the theory that the trib could occur right after the rapture.

Email: amy@trackingbibleprophecy.org

Website: www.trackingbibleprophecy.org

Email: amy@trackingbibleprophecy.org

Website: www.trackingbibleprophecy.org

Email: amy@trackingbibleprophecy.org

Website: www.trackingbibleprophecy.org

Sparkles, Amy has done a bang up job in my opinion answering these questions. Yes , the restrainer will no longer live in individual Christians as in the Church Age but His work is not done. It's just different. His presence in us seals us for redemption with that promise. When the Church Age is over He leaves taking those of us still alive with Him. After delivering us then His job assignment changes. He will still be around influencing . He will have the 144,000 to work with. Angels will make announcements in the Heavenlies. It's simply a different Age is all. Things will operate differently.

This is why we work so hard to reach people now because after the Rapture it will be much more difficult , there is no promise of safe delivery. Most likely new Christians will lose their lives in testimony for Jesus and refusing the AC's ultimatum ; demand for worship. Currently , the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us inwardly, redeeming, maturing us spiritually, preparing us for our future and salvation. When we ask for Jesus to be our Savior He seals us with Himself. He is the promise that Trib Christians won't have.

Nevertheless, God has a plan for them. Imagine the spirit of lawlessness unrestrained. It will just be much more difficult for them. The better choice is to receive now.

Email: victorychanter@raptureintheairnow.com

Website: Rapture In the Air Now

Wow, Amy, I've never seen that from that point of view before. I've always wondered why the 144,000 are called the first fruits. Now it all makes sense to me. After Jesus died, many saints from the Old Testament were raised and appeared to many. They could very well be the initial harvest, culminating to the final harvest of the first fruits which is the 144,000! Wow, that really brings things to perspective.

It has long seemed to me that the way the Horses are presented signify things that we have always had being given sudden global power / authority. The emphasis truly is on the sudden provision of mobility that we know wander to and fro across the earth - Behold! A horse. The riders are secondary considerations in the breaking of the seals. We have always had war, disease, famine, and spirits of antichrist but they have been limited to regions, not global activity. Even the world wars didn't directly involve much of South America or Africa. These coming events will be global. Their provision at the hands of Yeshua amount to a sudden loosening of the leashes God has kept on them, aka the restrainer will stop restraining them. Instead of having many small antichrists here and there, we will have one Antichrist which will have global dominance, who's arrival will be rather precipitous.

One of the unique aspects of the Holy Spirit's current "job description" is that He continually intercedes for all the saints and helps us in our intercession for the world, in concert with He who reads the hearts of men. With the prayer support represented in the Church suddenly being removed, surely He who Restrains does drop the leashes holding back the dogs of the evil one.

Email: TxThom@raptureintheairnow.com

Wow, Amy! Awesome Job!!

Scripture interprets scripture.If it is not because of Daniel 8:23-25,9:27.and 11:21-23,we could have interpreted the white horse rider as a force that sweeps through the surface of the earth like some have suggested here.

But from the prophet Daniel,we learn that Anti Christ shall arise to his power swiftly and mightily.And he shall prosper and practise continually in the first half of the tribulation.And it does seem that there is no hinderance or stoppage in his rising to his power swiftly.

Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

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.

9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. 23And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

And where else have we found his rapid ascension to the power,that is,his conquering shall be smooth and rapid?

Revelation 6:2 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.

"And he went forth conquering,and to conquer" is in line with Daniel 8:23-25,9:27 and 11:21-23.Having said this,I believe the white horse rider speaks of a person.