By THE TWO OLIVE TREES, THE TWO DREADFUL WITNESSES OF REVELATION 11, THE ELIJAH, THE MIGHTIEST MIGHTIEST PROPHET OF THE LORD, PROPHET DR. DAVID EDWARD OWUOR
By all standards, the greatest prophecy Jesus ever gave to the church is that prediction which he released while seated on the Mt. of Olives, and popularly known as the Olivet Prophecy. This is because in that prophecy, the LORD Jesus revealed the spiritual landmarks that would denote the dispensational course for His return and the signs of the end of the age. While it may have seemed that among the four glorious gospels, only Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded that Olivet Discourse, John on the other hand and as a matter of fact received its interpretation and documented it in the book of Revelation chapter 6.
Central to the Olivet prophecy though, is the breaking of the first four seals of the scroll of God and the corresponding release of the four HORSEMEN of the APOCALYPSE.
These first four HORSEMEN of the APOCALYPSE essentially demarcate the prophetic timeline towards the rapture of the church. That is why, when the LORD spoke with me in a mighty vision, on July 29, 2009, and showed me the PALE HORSE that is coming to the earth, it essentially underscores a very significant mark on the timeline clock of God, highlighting that the rapture has now drawn nigh. It was while on my way to the mighty revival in Venezuela, that I had a 24-hour stopover in Johannesburg, and while there I saw the visions of the LORD.
During the 24-hour stopover in Johannesburg, on that July 29th 2009, as I slumbered on the chairs at the airport waiting lounge, the LORD again spoke with me about the coming of the Messiah. It was in the very busy airport hours between 2pm-4pm when I slumbered, and saw the visions of the LORD regarding the rapture of the church. The visions I saw were those of the wedding of the Lamb of God in which the church had been taken up into the wedding supper of the Lamb.
In that vision, the LORD showed me the glorious church of Christ that is raptured into heaven, as she had just gained entry into the wedding supper of the Lamb. The bride of Christ that I saw taken up into the kingdom of God, was a very glorious and holy church. She wore a glorious wedding gown that had a ‘train’ that wonderfully flowed past her feet (Rev 19:7-8).
But what was most fascinating about this raptured church is that her entry into heaven was marked with a great celebration and a very high worship. They were in their glorious immortal bodies as they lifted their hands up in such a wonderful rhythm and an unmatched melody to behold (1 Cor 15:50-56). It is while in that heavenly worship that I noticed the glow of the glorious gown that the raptured church was wearing. The more they worshipped in rhythm and swayed in a very gentle fashion, the more flashes of lightening were emitted from their glorious gowns. The flashes that their glorious gowns radiated were similar to those that a camera flash would emit at photo taking.
Such was the glory that abound the worship at the wedding supper of the Lamb that the whole place emitted radiance of the glory of the LORD. I could see the tremendous joy unspeakable that animated their souls as they engaged in this great worship of honour unto the LORD of Hosts. They all seemed to be in one accord and continuously gave honour to the Lamb of God that was slain for the sins of man.
Surely, on that day the church honoured the worthy Lamb of God with all glory and worshipped in the Spirit. However, while still absorbed in the heavenly celebration of the wedding of the Lamb, then came forth the most tremendous voice of the LORD , saying; “Look and see, who is coming.” And in the slightest moment, when I turned towards my left-hand side, I was shocked to see the rider of the PALE HORSE coming with such a ferocious impunity towards the earth.
As the rider of that PALE most dreadful HORSE made his way towards the earth, I immediately recognized the tremendous darkness that was following him from behind. The PALE HORSE of God, indeed is a fearful HOST with some outstanding features that I was able to observe. One of the major features that I was able to recognize was the fact that from his eyes down towards his mouth is very gloriously glowing in colour. That part of his head was extremely glorious with slightly patches.
The LORD made me aware of how close the PALE HORSEMAN is to reaching the earth. But the speed and power of his majesty is what took my breath away in that vision of the LORD. Moreover, the reality of this PALE HORSE is as stunning as the intent of his rider. I was quick to make out that this PALE HORSE of the APOCALYPSE is a very humongous HORSE that approaches the earth like a storm.
I was also able to notice that his rider had some straps of buckles that held him knuckled as this most terrifying HORSE ploughed the skies towards the earth. The way this HORSEMAN approached the earth most definitely implied his greatest determination to accomplish his mission in the shortest possible time.
It took a very short time though, and then he arrived on earth. Albeit, when this PALE HORSEMAN stepped his foot on the earth, the entire earth’s surface became instantly covered by such a thick darkness as I have not seen before. It is at that moment that I woke up in the middle of that busy Johannesburg airport, and realized that the LORD of Hosts had just spoken with me about the Coming of the Messiah.
Most stunning are the ways of the LORD to the extent that he can choose to have such a significant and historic conversation with me in the midst of a very crowded and busy airport hour. Nevertheless, what stands out most is the message with which this vision is released from heaven. We all know it too well, that in the recent past, I have given prophecies of the release of the WHITE HORSE, the RED HORSE and the BLACK HORSE; and all those prophecies have come to pass in a very record short time interlude.
The most recent of them being the August 19th, 2008 prophecy on the release of the BLACK HORSE, and the coming of the global economic crisis and famine; a prophecy that was fulfilled in a record less than two months when on that October 7th, 2008 all the Global Financial Markets crashed. Todate the manifestations of the release of the HORSEMAN on the BLACK HORSE are still biting very big and bitter!
But we also know that of the seven seals that closed the scroll of God, only the first four are most critical to the church of Christ as appertains to rapture. Of the first four seals, the first three are the most crucial because they essentially denote the pre-rapture events that underline the nearness with which the wedding of the Lamb has drawn. However, it is absolutely most shocking to realize that as a matter of fact the release of the PALE HORSE with its rider is an event that takes place after the church has been taken up in the rapture.
This is because the thick darkness that followed him very closely is the most dreaded Hades while the rider of this HORSE is given full authority and power to kill mankind by the sword, famine, disease and the beasts of the earth. This fourth HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE when he arrives, is given power to kill up to one fourth of the entire population of the earth. But, it is absolutely clear that such a large scale annihilation of mankind will only take place during the tribulation after the holy church of Christ, God’s elect has been taken up into the safety of rapture (Revelation 6:7-8).
But we must be cognizant of the fact that the biblical context presents HORSEMEN as warriors, and that means that the release of these four HORSEMEN of the APOCALYPSE is intended to signal God’s waging of WAR on the lawlessness and godlessness of this dispensation prior to rapture.
SYNOPSIS
By shedding his most precious blood on the Cross, Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, essentially purchased our complete salvation into eternity. Nevertheless, when God Almighty surrendered Jesus as the perfect Lamb of sacrifice, he did not merely end there, but intended far more than just deliver us from that destructive sin and death. The LORD God Almighty also promised us, an unwarranted entry into his kingdom, in which we would not only be the children of God, but also be transformed into the priests of JEHOVAH (Rev 5:9-10).
It is this unmerited heredity that causes us to marvel at his relentless love for mankind. Most challenging to man, then becomes the ability to detect dispensational change, and especially as it relates to the time of the LORD’s return. However, spiritual understanding into the secret mysteries of God Almighty, requires that we access the revelation availed to us in the bible through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, is the only one merited with the ascendancy to unlock the hidden secrets of God in this kind of end-time revelation. And that is the reason that in his description of the heavenly throne-room, the Holy Spirit celebrates the worship of the divine Lamb of God as spilling over from heaven to the rest of the created realm.
No matter how much dissent dominates the earthly scene today, there will come a time when all mankind will bow down before the Lamb and God Almighty. That will unveil the moment at which the SUPREME LORDSHIP of Jesus Christ will be celebrated across all creation. But, to better understand the rolling out of events leading to the return of the Messiah, it is crucial to comprehend the process in which Jesus Christ the Lamb of God begins the opening of the scroll in the throne of God. It is this that sets in motion, a series of occurrences leading to God’s victory over sin and
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THE GREATEST PROPHECY JESUS EVER GAVE
The most imperative prophecy that Jesus ever gave to the church, was the one that he relayed to his disciples while seated on the Mount of Olives. This most important prophecy is also often referred to as the Olivet Prophecy. It all began when Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds and his disciples privately approached him to draw his undivided attention to the Temple architecture. In that confidential dialogue, the disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings, their design and fascinating beautification including the precious stones and gifts of gold that were used to adorn it. But to their dismay, the LORD Jesus responded by saying that those well-adorned Temple buildings would be completely demolished to the extent that no stone would be left on top of another, in the ensuing rubble.
This marked the beginning of the mightiest narrative of bible prophecy ever recorded in the history of the church. The most central biblical prophecy was hence not released at the pulpit, but on the rugged and stony Mt of Olives. This can only emphasize the spiritual symbolism that the Mt of Olives represents, as the corner stone of Zion. Unfortunately the fulfilment of this most central bible prophecy now comes in the wake of the fact that the Eastern Gates of Jerusalem stands closed to the this corner of Zion.
It is incredible that this most important prophecy was recorded in three out of the four glorious gospels of the bible. While Matthew records it in chapter 24, Mark carefully documents it in chapter 13, even as Luke elaborately registers it in chapter 21. Just as one would have thought that John totally missed it out in his Holy Spirit-led literature, then one quickly realizes that John actually received that revelation as presented in the book of Revelation chapter 6.
It is absolutely intriguing to realize that when John was describing the revelation he had received from the LORD on the seven seals that close up the scroll of God, the interpretation of that otherwise complex revelation, is as a matter of fact, unveiled in the greatest prophecy that Jesus ever laid out in Matthew chapter 24. This further reaffirms that only Christ can unlock the seven seals and most importantly, that bible interprets bible.
THE OLIVET PROPHECY
It all began with one simple moment when Jesus had them privilege of shrinking away from the multitude, in order that he could have a refreshing moment of redress with the Holy Spirit. It is at that very time, that he opted to sit on the slopes of the Olivet Mountain, even as his disciples privately approached him. When his disciples had attempted to exalt the tremendous physical adornation of the Temple on Mount Moriah, Jesus was quick to disappoint their enthusiasm to the effect that vanity would ultimately prevail.
Surprisingly, the disciples were quick to perceive that the LORD Jesus was, as a matter of fact, hinting on his second coming and the end of the age. It is this realization that eventually prompted his disciples to ask him, “LORD , when will all these take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?” In response to their quest for greater understanding of this critical matter, the LORD Jesus gave the most important prophecy yet, ever recorded in the bible. In a surprise reply, Jesus answered them by giving the following prophecy when he said:
“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name claiming ‘I am the Christ’, and will deceive many (Matthew 24:4-5).
The LORD continued to caution them by saying that they would hear of WARS and rumors of WARS, but that they should see to it that they be not alarmed. Such things he said would have to happen while the end was still to come. Jesus further added that nation would rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. In concluding his first unveiling to them, the LORD even reiterated that there would be famines and earthquakes in various places, creating a phenomenon that would be referred to, as the beginning of birth pains.
In advancing this crucial prophecy to his disciples, the LORD Jesus further highlighted that his followers would be handed over to be persecuted and put to death and be hated by all nations, because of his name. In Matthew chapter 24 verse 10, as Jesus continued to advance this prophecy, he underscored that at that time many will turn away from the faith, and hate and betray each other. This, he said, would propagate many false prophets that would appear and deceive many.
To crown it all, the LORD asserted that because of the increase of wickedness that would manifest at that time, the love of most would grow cold and yet he also gave hope to those who would stand firm to the end; the hope of salvation. As that happens, the LORD Jesus also promised that the gospel of the kingdom would be preached to the whole earth, as a testimony to all nations, and then the end would come.
It is this mighty prophecy on the Coming of the Messiah that redefines and creates a critical threshold on all biblical events. Precisely, all other prophecies in the bible revolve round this major prophecy on the Coming of the LORD.
OPENING THE SCROLL
Upon His resurrection and being taken up by the cloud, JESUS OF NAZARETH is enthroned on the right-hand side of the LORD God in heaven. At that position, he became the right-hand Man of God Almighty in heaven thereby warranting himself a place of authority before God the Father. That dominion is as a result of the merit of the blood that he shed on the cross at Calvary, with a view to redeem all mankind. However, because redemption is not complete until the church enters into the wedding feast of the Lamb, it then becomes imperative that the christians well-perceive the developments surrounding the return of the LORD.
Key among these, are the events decreed by the hidden wisdom of God, and concealed within the scroll at the throne of God. Amazingly, the visions of the Holy Spirit that John received and published in the book of Revelation chapter 6, were primarily with regard to the Coming of the Messiah. Even so, JEHOVAH God conferred this revelation in such a way that there would be a crucial need for the breaking of the seven seals that hold it together. Such was the novelty of this APOCALYPTIC revelation that God Almighty sought it wise to render it hidden within the closed scroll.
In the fullness of time, the Almighty intended that the seven seals would have to be broken in order to dehisce the prophetic timeline to the church. Only Christ Jesus can extricate the seals on this most important scroll of God in heaven, owing to the merit of his work of redeeming mankind on the cross (Rev 5:5).
THE FOUR APOCALYPTIC HORSEMAN
The new Jerusalem is portrayed as the radiant bride of the Lamb of God (Rev 21:2). It is cogent to notice here that that eternal city has twelve gates denoting the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev 7:4-8), and twelve foundation stones exemplifying the twelve apostles of Christ Jesus. Thus, the new Jerusalem which is symbolic of the bride, embodies the people of God and the community of faith who are the members of the church, the bride of Christ. It is the eternal home of the righteous and the most wonderful pictoral painting of the grace of God. Albeit, the eternal heredity promised to the church is a dwelling of peace and fellowship in this glamorous city of new Jerusalem.
It is absolutely imperative that today’s christians make it into the wedding of the Lamb in order to access that appanage. Howbeit, for the church to enter into the wedding feast of the Lamb, she has hence to be well enlightened about the milestones that Jesus himself prophesied around the rapture. By the aforegoing, it then becomes absolutely pertinent that the church apprehend the revelation concealed within the scroll of God, in relation to the return of the Messiah. Such revelation as we have seen, can only be availed to the church when Jesus the Lamb of God himself breaks open the seven seals that close the scroll.
5 And one of the elders saith unto
me, Weep not: behold, the Lion
of the tribe of Judah, the Root
of David, hath prevailed to open
the book, and to loose the seven
seals thereof (Rev 5:5).
The mysteries bestowed upon the scroll of God in the heavenly throne room, can be clearly adduced within the domains of the scripture in the bible. It is this, that permits the church to conceive the extent of the depth of the phrase ‘bible interprets bible’. It is not surprising though, that this is the most misunderstood and neglected attribute of the bible in the church. It is no wonder, many biblical scholars have been groping in the darkness as they attempt to derive interpretation on the four HORSEMEN of the APOCALYPSE.
This has resulted into an arrant spiritual confusion to the extent that there are now so many misconstrued translation of the content of the scroll. If only the pastors had focused on the scriptural presentation in 2 Peter 1:20-21, then their most fruitful effort to deduce from the scroll of God, would have been their total reliance on the Holy Spirit.
20 Knowing this first, that no
prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by
the will of man: but holy men of
God spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost (1 Peter 1:20-21).
Thence, it is only the Holy Ghost that can reveal to the church the importance of the breaking of each of the seven seals on the scroll of God.
THE WHITE HORSE OF THE APOCALYPSE
When JEHOVAH God proffers the scroll that is in his right hand, to the Lamb that is seated on high, the true picture of the authority apportioned to Christ, is unveiled. Now, as the Lamb breaks open the first of the seven seals on the scroll of God, the first of the four HORSEMEN of the APOCALYPSE is released.
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 (Rev 6:1-2).
Many people have for a long time erroneously assumed that this HORSEMAN is Christ. And that is why many are today deceived by the false christianity that the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE who rides the WHITE HORSE, brings into the earth.
4 The god of this age has blinded
the minds of unbelievers, so that
they cannot see the LIGHT of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who
is the image of God (2 Cor 4:4).
When Jesus confided in his disciples on the vestige of the end of the age, it became the greatest prophecy of all time, in the bible. This is ecause it foretold of the clue that would precede his Coming. And owing to the fact that the one and only reason for which the bible was ever written by the Holy Spirit, was that mankind may finally gain entry into the kingdom of God, then discerning this prophecy becomes critical to the church. The divulgement that christianity means being a follower of Christ, hence can only give a hint that we have no choice but to allow Christ unlock the hidden secrets of the first seal, for today’s church to seize.
While it is true that Christ Jesus will return to the earth on a WHITE HORSE, the rider of the APOCALYPTIC WHITE HORSE is not Christ. Prominence should be given to the attention that while the rider of the WHITE HORSE holds a BOW on his hand, Christ comes with a mighty SWORD.
11 And I saw heaven opened, and
behold a WHITE HORSE ; and he that
sat upon him was called Faithful
and True, and in righteousness he
doth judge and make WAR . 12 His
eyes were as a flame of fire, and
on his head were many crowns;
and he had a name written, that
no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a
vesture dipped in blood: and his
name is called The WORD OF
GOD. 14 And the armies which
were in heaven followed him
upon WHITE HORSES , clothed
in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth
a SHARP SWORD, that with
it he should smite the nations:
and he shall rule them with a
rod of iron: and he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and
wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on
his thigh a name written, KING
OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS. (Rev 19:11-16).
On the other hand eminence must be given to the fact that, like the other three HORSE of the APOCALYPSE, the man on the WHITE HORSE in Rev 6:1-2, bring great suffering upon the church. Hitherto, in Rev 19:11-16 Christ brings abundant peace and joy into the church, after smashing the rebellious ones from the earth. By far, the most intense suffering caused by the four HORSEMEN of the APOCALYPSE, is that arising from the actions of the first HORSEMAN on the WHITE HORSE. To make matters worse this rider of the WHITE HORSE builds up and concentrates the intensity of his activity right before the second Coming of Christ; a time that is most crucial for the church to get it right.
It is truly compelling when one fathoms that the reason the first HORSEMAN is first, arises from the fact that he causes the most suffering by far, on the church. As well relayed in the bible, the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE ingresses into the church as a conqueror bent on conquest. To best understand the mission of this first HORSEMAN and the gravity of the great devastation he inflicts on the church, it is paramount to first deduce the true meaning of the word conquer. In basic layman’s terms, to conquer means to come off with victory and nothing less. To put it in other words, it implies taking control of a place by force of arms, or it equally means to win a victory over a people in a WAR . Therefore, one quickly understands the sadist mission of the first HORSEMAN who is mounted on the WHITE HORSE as being to forcefully conquer this most crucial dispensation between the first and the second Coming of Christ.
The weightiness with which the first HORSEMAN launches battle against the Christians emanates from the fact that he conquers by DECEIVING.
THE WHITE HORSE OF SPIRITUAL DECEPTION
On the face value, the three other HORSEMEN of the APOCALYPSE would appear to cause more suffering than the first, but that is not the case in reality. Actually, the first HORSEMAN precipitates the majority of the gruesome episodes of the latter three HORSEMEN. The catastrophic episodes resulting from the manifestation of the effects of the latter three HORSEMEN, literally occur to mankind because of being deceived. And as a result of that, this first HORSEMAN is branded the most deleterious among the four HORSEMEN of the APOCALYPSE. He is most deadly because he leads mankind to eternal death.
The most accurate oracle that would describe this first and most deadly HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE, is that which catalogues him under the brand name SPIRITUAL DECEPTION. And indeed, he is called religious deception. However, to best understand the schemes and whims with which the man on the WHITE HORSE achieves his overwhelming conquest over the church, one must examine the ‘vehicle’ of his conquest. The first HORSEMAN thrives on the fact that since the onset of post-modernism and the clamour for globalization, man has increasingly become so casual and shallow, in his religious interests.
These twin traits of spiritual casualness and shallowness in man’s pursuit of God’s ways have been the greatest undoing of the church. It is this, that the first HORSEMAN has capitalized on and exploited to the max, globally. Remember, his mission was to ensure that he conquers and nothing less. Humanity is totally vulnerable because he has no idea of the gravity of suffering that is caused by this WHITE HORSEMAN. Accordingly, the majority of people today do not perceive the extent of damage caused by this spiritual deception, not only in their personal lives but also globally in the church as a whole.
Discerning the importance of the first HORSEMAN and how he impacts the church of Christ today, requires that we examine the interpretation that Jesus himself gave on this HORSEMAN. That interpretation is recorded in the book of Matthew 24:1
1 Jesus left the temple and was
walking away when his disciples
came up to him to call his
attention to its buildings.
2 ”Do you see all these things?” he
asked. “I tell you the truth, not
one stone here will be left on
another; every one will be thrown
down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting
on the Mount of Olives, the
disciples came to him privately.
“Tell us,” they said, “when will
this happen, and what will be the
sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt 24:1-3).
The stones that Jesus referred to, that make up the Temple buildings, were as a matter of fact, spiritual stones and not physical. Amazingly, in saying this, Jesus was precisely addressing only his disciples, which was a small group of people. No wonder, he uses the phrase ‘YOU ’ as they privately sought audience with him. Nonetheless, the LORD was referring to the spiritual stones that would make up the current church of Christ.
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As you come to him, the LIVING
STONE – rejected by men but
chosen by God and precious to
him – 5 you also, like living stones,
are being built into a spiritual
house, to be a holy priesthood
offering spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5).
Jesus revealed this prophecy on the coming of the grand fall in the church, specifically to his disciples which actually constituted his most important inner circle and core of believers and followers. In referring to the fact that no stone would be left to another, and that every one of them would be thrown down, the LORD Jesus was essentially implying on the devastation that the man on the WHITE HORSE would bring upon today’s church. Most beguiling of all is that Jesus, speaking to his disciples literally symbolizes a conversation that he is having with the priesthood of today’s church. And the focus of the message in that conversation, was levied on this dispensation, His second Coming and the end of the Age (world). It clearly emerges from that conversation, that Christ gave the signs of the end of the world, the end-time, and the details to watch out for. The question then becomes, why did Jesus give these specific details?
The one and only reason for which the LORD intimated to the church on the signs of the end of the Age is because those markers are very closely knit with his return. Notice is hereby taken on the fact that, the first and foremost warning that Jesus gives to his apostles, is for them to watch out and be WARNED of the DECEPTION that was coming. In that way, the LORD Jesus was essentially referring to the coming of the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE. Put in context, Christ was denoting that the DECEPTION that would be unleashed by the first HORSEMAN would get so bad, that Christ’s own disciples would be deceived about, not only his person but also his message. This he said, well aware of the fact that his own disciples were in fact well acquainted with his directive.
And that is what greatly underscores the schemes and trickery of the first HORSEMAN in deceiving and conquering the hearts of mankind. It hence becomes even more apparent now, that this DECEPTION transcends far beyond the false Christianity that the first HORSEMAN unleashes onto the church. That can only mean that as the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE brings DECEPTION onto the earth, he indeed manages to deceive God’s chosen people – the elect. Because of this, Christ mentions the word ‘ YOU ’ as he directly refers to his own chosen disciples. Jesus inexorably foretold that they too would be deceived into believing a false message about the person of Christ while rejecting the true message of the Christ.
At this juncture, it is vital to mention that the true message of the Christ is the passion of the Christ for the salvation of mankind, hence the message of the Blood and the cross at Calvary. In other words, the LORD was hinting on the fact that when this dispensation would arrive, the church leadership would be quick to not only forget, but also reject the very foundation of the gospel, namely the blood and the cross. One need not go very far, to agree that looking at the church today, she surely has fallen into the trickery of this schemy man on the WHITE HORSE.
Even most unfortunate though, is that those who are being deceived are people who have been given God’s salvation, his Holy Spirit and the truth. It is for this reason that the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE has been referred to as being the most pernicious to human race since he causes even God’’s own chosen elect to fall. Just to envisage how catastrophic the manifestation of the effects of spiritual DECEPTION in the church are, a closer look at the book of Hebrews chapter 6 verses 4-6, becomes a sobering awakening unto the church.
It is impossible for those who
have once been enlightened,
who have tasted the heavenly
gift, who have shared in the
Holy Spirit, who have tasted the
goodness of the word of God and
the powers of the coming age,
if they fall away, to be brought
back to repentance, because to
their loss they are crucifying the
Son of God all over again and
subjecting him to public disgrace
(Hebrews 6:4-6).
The same scripture is echoed in Hebrews 10: 26-31 and 2 Peter 2:19-22. The spiritual deception that the rider of the white APOCALYPTIC HORSE brings to the church, fundamentally cuts on the numbers of the LORD’s very elect by making them immune to the TRUE GOSPEL. It is incredible though, that these people in the church receive the Holy Spirit and the truth and then they chose to reject it for a false Christianity. This emphasizes just how DEADLY this first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE is, and there is no better way to grasp the fall from the truth into a falsehood, than what is presented in Galatians 3:3.
3 After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain a goal by human effort? (Gal 3:3).
The work of the first HORSEMAN then appears to be that of basically conquering the souls of the Christians and to lead them to eternal death. In so doing, he also blocks the unborn again from the truth since he causes Christians to act shallow and sinful in the eyes of the heathen. The rampant acceptance of sin into the church practically repels off the heathens from receiving Jesus. Moreover, as this man on the WHITE HORSE destroys the born-again elect of the LORD, he likewise blocks the perishing from accessing the truth. Any mediocre revival that maybe staged by the false Christianity he unleashes, will normally equally lead those who long for salvation to falsehood and the lack of holiness.
The true task of the man on the WHITE HORSE of the APOCALYPSE, hence then becomes that of introducing the world and its apparent post-modernism into the church of Christ. It stuns one though, to realize that this first HORSEMAN propagates the apostasy across the globe. This he does, by instituting the false gospel that focuses the church onto the earthly living. An earthly gospel of that nature misses the focus on heaven, heavenly principles and requirements.
Bluntly put, the first HORSEMAN obliterates holiness from the lives of God’s elect. By deceiving the pastors to the extent that they literally champion a gospel that cannot accommodate the holiness of the LORD, the WHITE HORSE from heaven achieves its most desired conquest in the church. For all that, the man of the WHITE HORSE employs that very first original trick of the devil to prey on the church.
He exhaustively uses the trick of the lusting of the eyes that was employed in the garden of Eden. In that way, today’s pastors quickly begin to lust at the things of the world thereby forgetting the kingdom of God. It is this that by definition birthed out the gospel of prosperity that has now established in the church. And just to prove how much he is bent on conquest, one doesn’t have to turn anywhere but to look at how the gospel of prosperity has become so
popular globally.
On the contrary, any pastor or church that preaches holiness and the kingdom of God at this hour, will literally face a bitter rejection in today’s church. The confounding power with which the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE plots his conquest, rests on the deceptive principles which he lays on the hearts of the pastors causing them to use biblical scriptures to justify false Christianity. They may even say that women should not worry about how they dress because they claim that God does not look at people’s dressing but the heart. While that may be a scriptural quotation, it is also important to factor in Matthew 5:27-28. This calls for responsibility among Christians and catapults the new law of the grace a pedestal higher that the proverbial abuse with which it has in the recent past, been related against the law of Moses. Whilst spiritual fatherhood may have been a novel concept of discipling in the church, the rider of the WHITE HORSE has picked it and taken it into the heads and the hands of the preachers of earthly prosperity.
Out of this has come a tremendous cascade of false apostles and false prophets that have given birth to other pastors and prophets who continue to proliferate the false Christianity observed in church today. The advent of the false prophets of the prosperity gospel is a true attestation on just how much the WHITE HORSE has conquered the church globally. By sending these false prophets and false apostles, to plant churches globally, the man on the WHITE HORSE has practically birthed out his disciples of falsehood in every nation of the earth. In its greatest irony, the elect of holiness and righteousness, who continue to be the true followers of Christ, have now been reduced to a mere remnant in the church. Unfortunately though, it is this remnant that will eventually enter into the kingdom of God.
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of
Holiness. The unclean will not
journey on it; it will be for those
who walk in that Way; wicked
fools will not go about on it. 9 No
lion will be there, nor will any
ferocious beast get up on it; they
will not be found there. But only
the redeemed will walk there.
(Isaiah 35: 8-9).
THE LOVE OF MOST GROW COLD
As the LORD Jesus continued to relay the prophecy of the signs that would eclipse the church right before his return in the rapture, he further elaborated in Matthew chapter 24 verse 12 that:
12 And because iniquity shall
abound, the love of many shall
wax cold.
It is as though the greatest dispensation of darkness has now befallen the earth especially that sin and iniquity has become absolutely rampant in the church. But this is consistent with the eleventh hour which the prophetic timeline has clocked. Apostasy has today reached a new high in which even openly gay homosexual pastors and bishops are being ordained at the pulpit. Exactly this is what Jesus meant when he said that many will fall away from the true faith and turn to a false form of Christianity which lacks in holiness. Very much aware that holiness is the most momentous benchmark standard of the LORD for entry into heaven, then one need not be a genius to quickly see that the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE literally slams the door of heaven on the church. It bespeaks desolation.
Such is the apostasy of this hour that the love of many will wax cold. A burning candle becomes hot and dynamic and flows in its content but waxing cold insinuates no more burning, nor more LIGHT emitted and hence dead christianity. That is the true signature footprint that the WHITE HORSE leaves in the church. The Holy Spirit’’s definition of LOVE is Agape which basically implies God’s love for mankind. But we all know that the love of God for mankind is Christ Jesus. Hence;
16 For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. (John 3:16)
It is this precious love that was predicted to wax cold. That openly denotes that God Almighty gave his precious gift of love and they have today waxed it cold. The waxing cold essentially refers to a state of the heart of the believers who had in the beginning accepted Jesus and received the Holy Spirit only to fall away from the true faith into the shameful apostasy of the day. Likewise, it bespeaks the shift from the first primitive, holy, and glorious church of the first century to this post-modern church of today. And that is exactly why the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE capitalizes on the modernization of the Christianity hence adulterating the word.
The ensuing defiling acceptance of the world into the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ becomes the biggest shame in the church. Even though such apostasy was predicted by the Holy Spirit in 2 Timothy 3: 1-7, God’s elect were precisely cautioned to have nothing to do with it.
1 But mark this: There will
be terrible times in the last
days. 2 People will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive,
disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love,
unforgiving, slanderous, without
self-control, brutal, not lovers
of the good,
4 treacherous, rash,
conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God—
5 having a form of godliness
but denying its power. Have
nothing to do with them. 6 They
are the kind who worm their
way into homes and gain control
over weak-willed women, who
are loaded down with sins and
are swayed by all kinds of evil
desires,
7 always learning but
never able to acknowledge the
truth (2 Tim 3:1-7).
The global christian television with its selling of oil, books, trips to holiday vacations, and cruise ship pleasures with barbecues, little ornaments, shawls, miracles, sowing of seeds, and all the commercialization that today plagues the gospel has but, well fulfilled the mighty prophecy that Jesus gave in Matthew 24. The prophecy on waxing cold of the love of many people is practically being fulfilled every minute that goes by in today’s church of Christ. By referring to ‘ MANY ’ the LORD implied the majority of God’s own people who would in the last days let the love of Christ wax cold in their hearts, to the extent that other idols would be exalted higher than the LORD, in their lives. It is an absurd scenario that creates a massive global wave of a majority of Christians headed to hell while only a minority remain headed to rapture.
THE FIRST HORSEMAN AND TODAY’S SPLIT CHURCH
Substantial reference was made by Jesus, towards the fact that the end-time church at the very brinks of rapture would turn out to be a split church. While the day of his return would remain secret, the appearance into the scene of a split church was nevertheless intended to be a clear landmark that the Messiah’s Coming has drawn nigh.
36 “No one knows about that day
or hour, not even the angels in
heaven, nor the Son, but only
the Father. 37 As it was in the
days of Noah, so it will be at the
coming of the Son of Man. 38 For
in the days before the flood,
people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day Noah entered the
ark; 39 and they knew nothing
about what would happen until
the flood came and took them all
away. That is how it will be at the
coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two
men will be in the field; one will
be taken and the other left. 41 Two
women will be grinding with a
hand mill; one will be taken and
the other left. 42 ”Therefore keep
watch, because you do not know
on what day your L ORD will
come (Matt 24:36-42).
In the aforegoing, we see clearly that Christ, in his most eminent prophecy to the church, pointed towards the fact that the majority of God’s elect would be practically struck by the sharp merciless arrows from the BOW of the first HORSEMAN. This would cause them to spiritually perish into an eternal abyss. And because he treads spiritual DECEPTION as a trademark, the man on the WHITE HORSE literally spikes his sharp spiritual arrows with the lethal doses of the excesses of the world. His arrows appear to be targeted to the hearts and souls of believers even as he plays the role of a perfect spiritual marksman in precision. Considering that it is the hearts and the souls of man that Christ Jesus died for on the Cross, then one can only imagine the level of devastation this first HORSEMAN has inflicted on the body of Christ.
Whereas this may have stood out as the strongest Warning ever from Christ to the church, the tragedy though is that most christians still largely remain very ignorant of this most crucial dispensational change. And even when a few become slightly enlightened of the new spiritual season, they would break your heart since they take it very lightly with no gravity at all. It is the scenario of this nature that has caused the man on the WHITE HORSE to have a field day and thrive his conquest thereby conquering almost all.
One of the most important ways in which the man on the WHITE HORSE deceived the elect church is by getting their focus away from the person of Christ while gradually leading them away from Christ’s message. It is amazingly interesting that he spares not the heathen to the extent that most people who are not yet born again would continue to claim to know about Christ while in actual sense refusing to accept him as LORD and saviour. In this way they do not get to commit their lives to Jesus, as they continue making little quotes that they may have come by.
An overriding observation that befits this condition in the church is that most people are deceived because they do not understand the bible. While this may be a painful summary of today’s church, it is only true that only a small fraction of christian would bother to clearly understand the bible in greater depth. The fertility of this kind of environment is what makes the man on the WHITE HORSE become more subtle and powerful than the church in order to deceive God’s own chosen people. That means that even as Christ spoke more seriously and directly to his disciples and followers, he did so with a complete understanding that their hard-won salvation was at stake.
It is true that Jesus was justified to focus on the church given that those in the world have not yet been called to him.
44 ”No one can come to me
unless the Father who sent me
draws him, and I will raise him
up at the last day. (John 6:44)
For those who have not been called unto the LORD, an opportunity will be availed most likely in the tribulation. But it is paramount to comprehend that God’s elect of today’s church will either be raptured with his return or be thrown into the lake of fire.
TWO MEN IN THE FIELD
At the time of Noah, there emerged a vivid split between the righteous Noah’s family and the sinful majority that drowned in the flood. In emphasizing the split characteristic of the endtime church just prior to the rapture, Jesus eloquently spoke of two men who would be working in the field, with one being taken and the other being left on earth. In the biblical context, the men represent the servants of the LORD. And so, it can only mean that the Coming of the LORD in the rapture will bring with itself a remarkable split within the priesthood in the church.
There will be those remnant pastors and shepherds who will choose to embrace the Holy Spirit and the holiness of the LORD, thereby defying the deceptive gimmicks of the man on the WHITE HORSE. These will be the pastors whose flock walk the narrow unpopular road in the book of Matthew chapter 7:13-14.
13 ”Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is
the road that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it. 14 But
small is the gate and narrow the
road that leads to life, and only a
few find it.
Only the Holy Spirit of God Almighty can help the current church to correctly identify the narrow road that leads to the wedding feast of the Lamb. This is so because of the great commercialization and globalization that has today eaten into the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has practically rendered the most novel gospel of the blood and cross at Calvary either totally irrelevant to the lives of these post-modern Christians or virtually impractical in their glamorous setting. Choosing to live a holy and meek life of righteousness, can today prove to be a great challenge within the christian fraternity. Walking the blood and cross of Jesus will hence require a tremendous self-sacrifice from among the Christians who chose that unpopular narrow road.
On the contrary, the other segment of the split priesthood are those that will have been led astray by the schemes of this first HORSEMEN of the APOCALYPSE. These are the pastors who have fallen into the great falsehood of this hour and have practically embraced the gospel of prosperity that seriously lacks in holiness. In this way, the man of the WHITE HORSE gets to split God’s elect church into half, with one half entering into rapture while the other into eternal damnation. It becomes particularly disturbing to know that the field that the two men are said to be working, is as a matter of fact, in the LORD’s vineyard. And since both men are working in the same field, that can only mean it is the quality of their work that distinguishes them.
References is hereby made to the case of the five wise versus foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The only distinguishing factors then, between the two men that the LORD said would be working in the same field, is the Holy Spirit. Obviously, the man that is taken up in the rapture represents the pastors who work under the anointing of the Holy Spirit in this last hour, hence releasing the fruit of the Spirit thereof. Yet the man that is left to face the full wrath of the tribulation, symbolizes the prosperity pastors, false prophets, false apostles, and all the Christians that follow them in that grand false Christianity.
It is debilitating to imagine that in that false Christianity, they would think that all is well, and hence develop immunity of the end-time gospel of repentance and holiness.
TWO WOMEN AT THE MILL
Conversely, as Jesus referred to this awful split in the end-time church, he also mentioned two women who would be grinding on a hand mill. The LORD asserted that one woman would be taken into rapture, while the other is destined to remain in the earth and face the full consequences of tribulation. By woman, the Holy Spirit presents the symbolism of the church of Christ. And working on the mill essentially purports working and preaching the Word of God. It indicates that the LORD was referring to a dysfunction that would present in the latter church, in which there would be two separate churches, both in the LORD ’s Temple. Since both of the women are grinding at the mill, then it becomes clear that both are teaching God’s truth but one is preaching in the outer court while the other is preaching in the holy of holies.
Ministering in the holy of holies requires that one walks in absolute holiness, lest they may not survive in that place of wrath. Today, there are many churches in which the truth of God is preached, except that it is adulterated with the defiling activities of the outer court. Thence the reason for which the church symbolized by the woman in the outer court is left behind at rapture, can only be lukewarmness (Rev 3:15-16).
If there would be any one perfect way to summarize the activities of the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE into the church, then that would be his achievement in transforming God’s elect into a luke WARM church. The majority of today’s church are deceived by the post-modernism of the day to a place whereby they now maintain a luke WARM attitude towards salvation. It has today become common practice to mix the sin of the world with the holy salvation of
our LORD Jesus that was hard-won at Calvary.
Christians today have really forgotten God’’s decree on separation and the living of a separated life:
14 Do not be yoked together
with unbelievers. For what do
righteousness and wickedness
have in common? Or what
fellowship can LIGHT have with
darkness?
15 What harmony is
there between Christ and Belial?
What does a believer have in
common with an unbeliever?
16 What
agreement is there
between the temple of God and
idols? For we are the temple
of the living God. As God has
said: “I will live with them and
walk among them, and I will
be their God, and they will be
my people.”
17 ”Therefore come
out from them and be separate,
says the L ORD . Touch no unclean
thing, and I will receive you.” 18 ”I
will be a Father to you, and you
will be my sons and daughters,
says the L ORD Almighty.” (2 Cor
6:14-18).
One church hence flees into rapture while the lukewarm church enters into tribulation just because lukewarmness greatly lacks in holiness. Lukewarm christians will not be ready to flee at rapture. The lukewarm church that Jesus symbolized by the woman who is left behind after rapture, is exigently a church that is not alert. Lukewarmness creates a myriad of activities around the life of a christian to the point that in most cases the believers would get more focused on the earthly realm than heaven. It is the reason Jesus cautioned on the need for the church to get heavenly focused by maintaining a watchful stance within the last watch of the night.
By rebuking his three most beloved disciples on slumber, at the garden of Gethsemane, the LORD Jesus came out very articulately stunned on the grave danger of sleepiness in church. Watchfulness has always remained a must for a rapture-ready church: The majority of today’s churches are luke WARM, modern and deceived, to the point that they are not yet ready to flee into rapture. Their watching is not good enough.
42 ”Therefore
keep watch,
because you do not know on
what day your LORD will come.
43 But understand this: If the
owner of the house had known
at what time of night the thief
was coming, he would have kept
watch and would not have let his
house be broken into. 44 So you
also must be ready, because the
Son of Man will come at an hour
when you do not expect him
(Matthew 24:42-44)
TODAY’S SAINTS DECEIVED
What the LORD meant by DECEIVED in Luke’s account of this most crucial biblical prophecy, is ‘led astray’. Without a doubt then, this infers a more serious scenario in which the man of the APOCALYPTIC WHITE HORSE leads the church astray, away from the LORD . It is not just a mere drifting away. This is the clearest indication yet that when Christ gave this WARNING and prophecy, he was practically talking to his own church. The reason being that only SAINTS who are ardent believers and followers of Christ can be led astray. It presupposes that they were initially in right standing with the LORD, and then led astray through this cunning first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE. To the stray church, it is as though the most celebrated WARNING that the Holy Spirit recorded in the book of Colossians 2:8, does not exist.
8 See to it that no one takes you
captive through hollow and
deceptive philosophy, which
depends on human tradition and
the basic principles of this world
rather than on Christ (Col 2:8).
This kind of leading astray of God’s elect can only mean that the first HORSEMAN of the APOCALYPSE in real sense, either perverts biblical scripture in the church or takes away the bible as the foundation of church. In so doing, he replaces long standing biblical principles with the deceptive philosophies of man that are tuned in conformity with the sinful nature of this world. Abhorrable pain though, comes in as a result of the fact that God’s own elect who have been deceived by this HORSEMAN, do not just tumble and fall, but are led into eternal death. This is because if they had just tumbled and fallen while on the rightful course, they would still have ended up into the wedding feast of the Lamb. But being led astray literally notates taking a different trajectory which is actually far removed from the only highway of holiness that leads to rapture.