Hid With Christ In God

Revelation 6:1-2

"Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a WHITE HORSE. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and HE WENT OUT CONQUERING AND TO CONQURE......"

For the Church, this is the most wonderful and exciting time to be alive.  It is also more dangerous than ever before.  In these final hours before Jesus calls us out of the world so judgment can fall, isn't it comforting to know that God Himself protects us!

The four horsemen described in this portion of scripture are some really bad news.  They bring deception, war, strife, famine and death;  all the evil that exists in this world.  But understand this:  God is not the author of evil.  All of it is a result of the curses brought on the earth when Adam bowed his knee to satan in the garden.  He's the one who brought every bit of this nonsense to earth, not God.

Each of these seven seals is actually an entity; an evil spirit.  How do we know that?  Watch as the Bible interprets itself.  

Believers are "SEALED" with The Holy Spirit--DEFINITELY an entity--according to Ephesians 1:13-"In Him {Jesus} you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE...." 

Just as you can be SEALED with the Holy Spirit, so those outside of Christ can be "SEALED" by evil spirits.

(The seven -sealed scroll.)

The word for "sealed" in Ephesians 1:13 is the exact same word as used in this verse in Revelation 

5:5:  "Sphragís."  It means "a seal, signet ring, the impression of a seal, that which the seal attests, the proof," per Strong's concordance.  So you see, these seven seals are actually entities.  

Seven is the number of completeness or perfection.  That means unbelievers are completely imprisoned or sealed...but not the kind of "sealed" you want to be.  No wonder we need Jesus to free us from bondage!  But our awesome Abba has a wonderful protection plan for "whosoever believes in Jesus;"  so fear not!

(The four horsemen)

  

The first seal unleashes a rider on a white horse.  He is wearing a crown on his head and carrying a bow in his hand.  This counterfeit "christ" is imitating The One Who, at the end of the book, comes forth riding on a white horse: JESUS!  The imposter is none other than the AntiChrist, come forth to deceive the nations.  He represents all false doctrines.  

When bad things happen to you or come into your life they are always preceded by hearing and believing false "doctrines."  Believing wrong = wrong living just as surely as believing right = living right.  "As a man thinketh.....so is he."

I don't care how many times the one behind the pulpit tells the people to "live right, to live holy; and don't sin," that congregation will never "live right, live holy and not sin" if that's the message they are hearing.  The strength of sin is the law.  If that is what is being preached, they are preaching the Law, even if it isn't technically the Big Ten.

What they need to be told to walk uprightly is that they are already right with God--FOREVER COUNTED RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST.....NOW.....walk out what out already are:  The righteousness of God in Christ.  

I reiterate:  RIGHT BELIEVING LEADS TO RIGHT LIVING just as surely as wrong believing leads to wrong living.  We are transformed by "BEHOLDING Jesus, not by SCOLDING."

(The rider on the red horse.)

The second horse to appear was fiery red.  John saw The Lamb....our Jesus....open one of the seals, since He alone was found worthy to do so.....

"3 When He opened the SECOND SEAL, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 ANOTHER HORSE, FIERY RED, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword....."

This horsemen brings war, strife, racial haterd, terrorism.  He has a GREAT sword in his hand.  It sure isn't hard to believe that this horseman is loose in our day.  There has been a great increase in wars, terrorism, brutal killings across the globe; most recently, the global threat posed by ISIS. Horrible, evil, cruel things!  It's almist impossible to comprehend just how cruel and evil man can be to his fellow man, even little children and infants, in the name of "religion."  

SATAN WORSHIP is what it really is!  

(The living being with four faces.)

These same four horsemen are alluded to in the second chapter of Zechariah only he calls them "the four winds."  The Hebrew word for spirit is the same as the word for wind; "Ruach."  

"5 When He opened the THIRD SEAL, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a BLACK HORSE, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine....."

(The rider on the black horse.)

These scales spell "lack and famine," not just of food but finances.  "A quart of wheat for a dinarius."

Back in Jesus' day, a dinarius was a whole days wage!  Rising prices; diminishing incomes, out-of-control taxes....All are signs of the rider in the black horse.

"7 When He opened the FOURTH SEAL, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a PALE HORSE. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the BEASTS OF THE EARTH.

This last phrase, "beasts of the earth," is not referring to lions or tigers or anything like that.  In this instance, it is a diminutive term referring to something very, very small or  microscopic, like viruses and biological weapons.

How does God protect His people from all of this?  To answer to that, we need to go back to ancient Israel to see how God had His people set up their camp.

In the pictures below you can see the tabernacle in the midst of the nation of Israel encamped around it on four sides.  When Balaam and Balak looked down on their camp from a high mountain they saw a giant cross in the desert!  Any questions as to what is always on our Father's mind?  His beloved Son! 

(Balaam and King Balak look down on Israel's camp)

Their tents are all facing INWARD TOWARD THE TABERNACLE--toward Jesus---and away from the desert. Why away from the desert?   Wouldn't they be vulnerable to attack by their enemies with their backs turned?  You'd think so.  But there is NO RECORD of them ever being attacked from behind.  Jesus was their rear guard.  

The Holy Spirit is showing us that the best way to deal with problems in life is to turn away from the desert--away from the devil for whom we are no match--face Him, lift Him up in praise and worship and He will be our rear guard!  The battle is the LORD'S.

(The tents of the Israelites face toward the Tabernacle)

The tabernacle faced East so, when you entered the door, you are facing West.  The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin are on the West;  Reuben, Simeon and Gad are on the South; Dan, Asher and Naphtali are on the North; Judah, Issachar and Zebulun on the East side.  

Their respective banners are as follows:  Judah, the banner of the Lion;  Reuben, the banner of a Man's face; Ephraim, the banner of an Ox; and Dan, the banner of the Eagle.  

These depict the four Gospels which are a complete picture of our Lord Jesus.  

The gospel of Matthew portrays Jesus as The King of the Jews.  Just as the Lion is a picture of the King of beasts so Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  Mark depicts Jesus as the suffering servant, the untiring laborer. The Ox was used for hard labor and also for sacrifices.  

Luke portrays Jesus as the perfect Man, shown in home and family settings with those He loved.  
Why portray Him as a Man? Because we can get so caught up in our awe of Him as The King, As Very God, that we forget He was also fully human with human emotions and sensitivities.  He doesn't simply understand what we go through:  HE FEELS WHAT WE FEEL. 

Finally, the Gospel of John shows us The Son of God Who came straight from Heaven as the Eagle that soars in the heavenlies.  

See the picture of the four horsemen attacking the tabernacle?  When the devil attacks us from the South, he sees the face of JESUS; from the West, the Hooves of The Ox; from the North --the razor- sharp talons of The Eagle; and from the East--THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH!!!.....and he flees in terror!  That's what it means to be "hid with Christ in God."  The devil CANNOT SEE US--he only sees the four faces of our Savior, JESUS!

So fear not, Church.  You are safe, Hid with Christ in God!