Untitled Sermon

UNKNOWN

You unwrap the present and find a chess set in the box.

You set the board on a table and you begin to unwrap each piece.

The first on you unwrap and set on the board is a dark king and warrior mounted upon a white horse - you place him

The fou

First Seal: The Conqueror

6 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 conquer.

First Seal: The Conqueror

6 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 conquer.

Move this to the end. The four horsemen portray the judgment of God on human arrogance and rebellion as manifest in the persecuting Roman power.

The four horsemen portray the judgment of God on human arrogance and rebellion as manifest in the persecuting Roman power.

Picture a CONQUER who is the symbol of the

brutality

The eruption of war, plagues, and death

the savagery

the atrocities

and the terrors of war.

He is responsible for millions of deaths of those so called “innocent people”. The families down the block with the cute kids and the old grand parents that sit on the porch.

The Conquer has no prejudices, he is completely impartial.

His only objective, if it’s alive - kill it.

The world is his slaughterhouse.

When John opens in chapter 6 verses 1 & 2 of Revelation, he paints this exact image of a Conquer to the 1st Century people.

In the 1st Century the Romans were considered the supreme leadership of the civilized world. But just on the eastern border of the Roman empire was a group of people called the Parthians (parth ee unz) or the ancient Iranian people.

The Parthians were never completely subdued by Rome. Their armies were exclusive in the fact that they had the only mounted archers at that time. In fact the there is a military tactic call the “Parthian shot” .

parth ee unz

The Parthian shot was while n real or feigned retreat their horse archers would turn their bodies back in full gallop to shoot at the pursuing enemy.

The Parthian archers were well known for as capable warriors and the trademark white horses they rode.

The crown John speaks of is the Greek word stephanos (stef an os). Which is a wreath of garland award to the victor in the ancient athletic games, usually worn around the head.

To first century people the picture of the white horse and rider functions as the announcement of the beginning of the end of Roman sovereignty.