In Chapter 5, we saw in full majesty that Jesus is the only One worthy to break the seven seals of the scroll in God’s hands. And we marveled at the unity of the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Now in Chapter 6, the Lamb (Jesus) begins to open the first of seven seals:
“Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’ And I looked and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer” (Rev 6:1-2).
A Rider on a white horse, white symbolizing pure and undefiled; a bow; a crown; conquering evil? This can only be Jesus, preparing to bring judgment on all unbelievers.
We know that Jesus’ dying hope, just moments before he gave up his life on earth to return to his Father in heaven, was that all believers in Jesus might be become “perfectly one” (John 17:23). If that were to happen, unbelievers would begin to realize that God loves them as much as he loves Jesus, and they might grasp this last chance to repent and believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord. This hope of perfect unity has been realized in small pockets among believers for centuries, but differences in denominational distinctives over the years resulted in massive disunity. Jesus’ hope was not for small little pockets of unity. Many small pockets of unity do not constitute perfect unity – perfect oneness – of the whole; they expose disunity in broken pieces.
So while unbelievers in Jesus will be judged harshly, it may be that the church as a whole could be judged, person by person, with respect to their commitment to Jesus’ dying hope of perfectly one.” This is not to suggest that believers can lose their salvation because of disunity, but perhaps there may be some higher positions of responsibility closer to Jesus for those committed to unity.
This suggests that the judgment brought by Jesus on a white horse is the entire Gospel of the Kingdom of God – the Bible – itself in perfect unity with all God’s children. Recall Matthew’s prophecy:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
When “Come!” is roared by the lion as the first of the four living creatures, the response is pure truth charging on a white horse straight from the Gospel contained in every word of the Bible. The Gospel is beauty and eternal life for those in perfect unity with all believers around the world.
The white horse, perhaps symbolizing both purity and unity, is the world’s last chance to repent, in order to bask in the never-ending love of God and his forgiveness and restoration to “perfectly one” with Him.
Please pray for the church as a whole, that it will come together “as perfectly one” in the eyes of Jesus before this vision becomes real life.
This is only the first of seven seals. Hurry back for the remaining six!