Dr. Bradford Reaves
CrossWay Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
I have spent the majority of my adult life, more than 25 years, preaching the gospel. There's one thing I know for sure about the gospel: it promises God's love to those who will put their faith in Him. It is a promise of His forgiveness. It's also a promise to those who put their faith in the salvation of His son, Jesus, will not taste God's wrath which will be poured out during the end times. The gospel also includes an assurance of a time that is coming specifically for the purpose of God's final wrath and judgment on sin, immorality, and unbelief. His wrath will be poured out on the world’s satanic systems that have tremendously deceived many.
Revelation 6 is a description of the initial execution of God's judgment. It is a time described by the appearance of four horsemen. They are known as the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Some have tried to speculate about the nature of these horsemen. Some have tried to associate events in the world as the contemporary appearance of these horsemen today.
What we know for certain is that the church will not be here on earth when these horsemen and the subsequent judgments of God are released. However, the events surrounding the appearance of these horsemen and the events of the tribulation are continually being foreshadowed through current events.
The reason is, that the condition of the world, the appearance of a global deceptive leader, and the technologies that must be in place for these events to occur, must appear prior to the events of the great tribulation in order for these prophecies to be fulfilled.
For example, when I take a trip, I do not just ‘show up.’ There are preparations to make that trip happen as evidenced by my behavior. I may have to purchase plane tickets, I need to pack my suitcase, I will need to arrange lodging, or exchange currency. These are foreshadowing events of something that is about to happen.
Similarly as major prophetic events happen, there are events that lead up to the fulfillment of the prophecy. With Jesus’s birth came the moving of governments, the Roman occupation of Israel, the birth of John the Baptist, and many other background events that prepared the world for Jesus’ first coming. So it is with Jesus’ second coming and the preceding Great Tribulation of the World. These things are not hidden. They are plainly written in Scripture and as the time of these prophecy’s fulfillment comes at hand they become more plain to see to the believer.
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!” 2 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. 3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. 5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be 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 wine!” 7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:1–8)
The Coming Deception
If there is a single word the Bible uses more often to describe the condition of the world in the last days, it would be the word “deception.”
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3–4)
and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10–12)
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times, some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1)
And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. (Matthew 24:4)
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:13)
Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he? (Isaiah 2:22)
It is undeniable just by simply looking at what is going on in governments, the news, with people in authority, that the purpose and plan of the age is to deceive people. Here is a list of ways we are being deceived actively in intentionally in our world today:
the use of electronics, especially cell phones
AI and the growing dependency upon AI and our culture
medical science and the medical industrial complex
this includes how COVID was manipulated and the use of vaccines
and morality and the coming of transgenderism
corruptions
governments and elections
so-called science using climate change and environmentalism to push deceptive agendas
wars and rumors of wars
transgenderism, especially with children
terrorism
The list could go on and on. But perhaps the greatest deception we see in this world is the promise of a utopian world peace. If everyone in the world will believe the world leaders and groups like the World Economic Forum, then there would be a utopia on earth like never seen. This is the mantra being projected to us and those who dare to question any of them or their plans is instantly cast off as a conspiracy theorist.
The Degrading Effects of Sin
This of course is a great deception that the Bible promised will happen during the final years of this earth. This will be especially true in the years after the rapture. However, today we are seeing tremendous foreshadows of these satanic deceptions at a rate never see before in all of human history.
The Bible is clear that this world is on a crash course of destruction because of the effect of sin and man’s obsession with sin. The Bible promises that the future of this world is a disaster until the final intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ. The disaster is not going to come from climate but from the environment. The disaster will come when God finally stops withholding his wrath upon sin and evil.
Sin of course is taking it’s destructive toll on the hearts of man, the fabric of society, and the very heat of of the physical world. Every dimension of culture, entertainment, education, and everything in our society today,is taken over by the debased minds of the sinful man. Never before have we seen the level of deception and the level of sin reached to where we are today.
What is astounding is the availability of sin. It used to be that if you wanted to be involved in sinful behavior, you had to go to where that behavior was happening. Then came TV, and we were able to watch sin at will. Then the Internet came brought more sinful behavior. Now with the phones the very worst of godlessness can be enjoyed in the palm of your hand. There are no protections.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19–21)
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:15)
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4)
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
The Judgment to Come
Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7)
This is a time the Bible promises will be greater than anything this earth has ever seen. Even greater than the flood of Noah. Judgment is looming as deception grows that is evidenced like never before by the conduct of the world today
But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. (Joshua 6:18)
For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. (Isaiah 34:5)
Could it be that today is the day that people are living who are devoted to their destruction? We can hear the sound of a dying world choking on the deception of their sin while shaking their fist at the One who can save them. What the world needs today more than ever before is for the Church to be alive and awake, sounding the alarm of the day of judgement is coming.
Raise a standard toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not, for I bring disaster from the north, and great destruction. (Jeremiah 4:6)
But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” (Matthew 11:24)
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 18 If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 3:17–19)
The Scroll with 7 Seals
Revelation 6 brings us clear images of the beginning of the end. They parallel closely what Jesus taught in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.
Context for all of this is found in Revelation 5:
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:6–10)
Here in this image of the throne room of Heaven, we find a scroll that is sealed with seven seals. And no one is able to open the scroll. No one has the authority. That is, until Jesus appears. He is the one who holds the scroll and has the authority to open the scroll. This is nothing less than the Title Deed to the Universe.
What is described in chapter 6 is the beginning of the unleashing of God's judgment upon the world; we call these the Seven Seals. When a legal document or scroll in Roman time need to be authenticated, it was sealed by a series of wax seals that authenticated it. Only someone in authority could unseal the scroll.
Revelation 6 foretells the designated time when Jesus breaks each seal and a judgment of God is brought out. Then, When the 7th seal is open that institutes what we call the seven trumpet judgments, which are greater in intensity and frequency. The seven trumpets bring even more judgment upon the world. Then, when the 7th trumpet is sounded, we know that this rapidly brings the seven bowl judgments of God upon the earth.
In Revelation 6, each time the first four seals are broken, John describes the coming of a rider on a horse of a certain color. Each horse and rider brings a judgment. These are often called the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The white horse is a false world leader, the red horse is war, the black horse is famine and inflation, and the pale horse is death.
The White Horse
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!” 2 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. (Revelation 6:1–2)
As the first seal is opened, we hear a command from the angel for the first horse and its rider to appear. Nothing is going to happen in this world that is outside of God's control. It is a White Horse with a rider. The nature of deception during this time is revealed in the very interpretation of the emergence of this horse. Because we know that some have falsely concluded that this White Horse and rider is Jesus. And they draw this conclusion by the fact that in Revelation 19:11, we see that Jesus appears with all the Saints and angels riding a White Horse.
There are some key differences here between the two riders. The main difference is in the peace they bring. The rider of the white horse here in Revelation 6 brings a false and fragile peace. Jesus in Revelation 19 will bring everlasting peace. In other words, Satan is a counterfeit.
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. (2 John 7)
This is not Jesus, but a false Jesus. The rider is described as having a bow with no arrows. This is a description of a world leader who is conquering the world politically instead of with force. And what this rider does will deceive the world tremendously. It will be peace that is contingent on the world believing his deceptions.
The rider is none other than who the Bible describes as the Antichrist. This is the start of the great tribulation. This is the start of a time of. Like the world will never have seen before. Notice that John describes the writer as someone who has been given a crown. The crown was given to him because people bowed down to him. And it is amazing to think that the world will willfully and even gleefully worship him.
And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” (Revelation 13:4)
So the question we must Ask is who is this Antichrist?
Daniel 8: 23-25 gives us some amazing insights through the prophetic word.
And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. (Daniel 8:23–25)
When the transgressors have run their course, a king will arise. Referring to the culmination of evil and corruption that will reach fury pitch in the world. This is the end of the age of the Gentiles. The age we are living in right now.. The coming of the Antichrist will be welcomed by a world that is overrun by evil period not because they are looking for a solution to the evil period instead, they are looking for something to sustain there are immoral, degrading, licentious, grave behavior. The world does not want a solution to evil, the world once permission to sustain its evil.
And so when the transgressors have run their course, a king of that transgression will arrive. He will be insolent and skilled in deception. Notice some other things as Daniel describes this world leader.
He will be empowered by Satan himself.
He will be very skillful.
He is described as a destroyer of holy
He is described as a persecutor of righteous men and holy people. This is a proliferation and increase of anti-Semitism
He is a deceiver.
He will rise up even against the Prince of Princess, meaning the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are witnessing many foreshadows of this future system. One way we witnessed this was the arrival of COVID-19 and the significance behind the events surrounding COVID-19. Often, I will tell people that this was a spiritual event designed to crash the world economy. It was designed to impose an increased world digital dependency. To cause fear among the populations and control over everything we bought and did. I think one of the main reasons was to bring about the digital dollar, global identification all of this is necessary for the Antichrist system. Those systems are in place right now as a result of COVID-19.
And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished, for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. 40 “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. (Daniel 11:36–40)
There will be no opposition to his agendas.
The Antichrist will magnify himself above every God. Daniel says that he will not pay attention to the gods of his father, meaning that he will disregard any tradition, history, or cultural norms.
We also see that there will be no desire for women. Perhaps this ruler will be a homosexual. The homosexual, LGBTQ, agenda is on fiery pitch around the world today. Anyone who dares to speak in opposition to the immorality concerning this lifestyle is subject to severe persecution, if not criminal.
The Antichrist will also establish a global economy.
Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. (Revelation 13:16–17)
The Antichrist will establish a world super-power diving the entire world into ten kingdoms.
“At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. (Daniel 11:40)
As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. (Daniel 7:24)
And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:12–14)
Ten Kingdoms
It should not surprise you that those kingdoms are being established as we talk. The United Nations and the World Economic Forum is doing this now which is why they want open borders. In the United states they have removed all political barriers to people coming into the United states without being checked. We see people from all over the world pour in through our borders. Many of these people are not interested in coming to the United States for purposes of good but to harm the United States.
One of the critical characteristics of the Antichrist is that he will establish a temporary and deceptive covenant with the nation of Israel. He will be the man that will bring peace to the Middle East. All the world will hail him as a hero. The truth of the matter is this peace accord that he established with Israel is a time that will be used to deceive Israel. For we know that at the midpoint of the tribulation, the Antichrist will betray the covenant he made with Israel and establish himself in the temple, making sacrifices and claiming himself to be God in order to be worshipped by the entire world.
He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)
Not only that is that the Antichrist is going to make changes regarding time and law. Some believe this may be a reference to the fact that Islam establishes law and calendars that are different from that of the calendar is established by God.
He is going to have the ultimate judgment over the world.
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. (Daniel 7:13)
This is a reference to Revelation 19 and the Battle of Armageddon. The day will come when the AntiChrist System, the kingdom of Satan, and everyone who choses to follow after him will be completely destroyed. So the question today is who are you choosing?
