Messianic Viewpoint

Guest (Male): Welcome to Shalom Ariel and to this sixth chapter in the book of Revelation with Messianic leader, Jacques Isaac Gabizon. Today we're going to hear about the bow in the hand of the first horseman of the Apocalypse. And verses one and two read like this. Now I saw when the lamb opened up one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, come and see. 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.

What might this bow be? The word for bow, as we will learn in today's message, is connected with Noah's rainbow and a covenant with God. Joseph also had a bow, and he was a man greatly blessed. He was resilient and ever faithful to the rock of Israel. He would be the father of many offspring, having a double inheritance, Ephraim and Manasseh. Each one of us has a bow, a true and godly bow in our hands since the Lord has made a covenant with us. What kind of bow do we carry and what arrows are we shooting forth from our bow?

Let everything that we send forth reflect not only the faithful character of Joseph, but the humble character of the Messiah. If Joseph was afflicted by his brothers, how much more the Messiah by all of us. Thank you, Lord, that despite our failures, we still remain an arrow in your quiver. Be blessed as you listen into Revelation chapter 6 with Messianic leader, Jacques Isaac Gabizon. Shalom, shalom.

Jacques Isaac Gabizon: Shalom, shalom. Not exactly the throne room. Now I'm going to bring you down to earth, you know, with what's with actually the first horseman. So again, shalom and hag sameah. We are in the third day of the feast of Hanukkah. Actually, it's beginning tonight. This is what you saw, two candles. We got to have a third one lit tonight. I want to tell that this is one festival which always reminds me of the two great attributes of our Messiah, that is his humility and his power. Humility and power. When we look at the Hanukkiah, we see how the elevated candle, the middle one, the Hebrew, the the Shamash, which is the servant candle, feeds all the others, right?

At the temple, on the menorah, which has actually seven branches, as you can see here, instead of eight or nine with the Hanukkiah, its center was eternal. The light in the center was eternal. In Hebrew, it's called It was always latent. Every day, the priest will take of its light to light the others. And in the same way, we too need to daily take all the blessings and power and hope and love that the spirit of Yeshua offers us. So we are kindled by his great kindness and carried always by his grace. This is our life here on earth.

And this year, I want to tell you that Hanukkah takes on an even greater meaning for us. Historically, this festival reminds us of the Maccabees back in 160 BC. So back in 160 BC, who against every very great odds that is fought to take back, clean and rededicate the temple of God. This was actually in preparation for the first coming of the Messiah. And today we can see how the Lord's events are moving towards a preparation for the second coming of the Messiah, toward the building of the third temple, something that is needed for the time of tribulation and something that is in the heart and daily prayers of every religious Jews.

So as the Bible predicted, and this will be the subject of our study today, there will be a seeming peace before the final wars begin. And it may be during this lapse of three and a half years that the temple will be rebuilt. And we have already begun to see a movement towards this peace. We have seen that in an exceptional move, okay, three Arab countries have already established full official relationship with Israel. Remember United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan. And this past week, another Arab countries joined in, okay? Morocco, my place of birth. Amen.

I'm gray. I'm glad. You know, I read this morning that in Israel, the Moroccans are feasting, you know, because now they have good relationship and so on. I want to tell you Morocco is a beautiful and great country, and I'm so happy about this. So all of this, by the way, is very new, right? All these peace treaties and very revealing as prophecies tells us that at the end times, many countries will join in a covenant of a false peace engineered by the Antichrist. What we see today may be the seed of this covenant. However, along with this movement toward peace, we can see preparation for wars as well.

You know, we have often spoken of those countries mentioned in Ezekiel in the coming war of Gog and Magog, which is taking place, I believe, in the middle of the tribulation. And it seems that that war will trigger the final war leading to Armageddon. In terms of Gog and Magog, we already seen these certain countries, namely Russia and Iran, at the northern border of Israel. Though the things are somehow quiet for now, they are still there and they are there with their armies. And these past few weeks, we learn of Russia, and listen to this, we learn of Russia moving toward the southern border of Israel as it plans a naval military base in Sudan's Red Sea coast to resupply its fleet.

Sudan that is is a prized place for it is believed it has enormous oil reserves. Over 6 billion barrels have been discovered lately. So at the time that Sudan is establishing peace with Israel, it has also signed an agreement to allow Russian forces in its territory, right? So it 's not really peace that we're looking at, right? Russia has already stationed there the station 300 military and civilian personnel and four ships including nuclear-powered vessels are already present today. So everything is ready. All of these things are not surprising again for those who are studying prophecies.

And today I'm very excited, very excited to begin looking at the specific predictions which describes the moments of the beginning of the last seven years leading to the second coming of our Lord. We will be looking at the first of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse who comes on a white horse with sinister plans and very subtly. However, the Bible reveals him through and through. So we will know exactly who it is. Now as it is our tradition, and before we start, let us bless our children and cover them with God's blessing of protection. Especially I want to tell you in these times for they also are affected of how this pandemic COVID-19 has greatly influenced our world.

You know, in the US, there's an organization called Operation Santa program, okay, with children with, you know, they would send letters to Santa asking for toys, clothes, video games, and many volunteers read these letters and send gifts. Of course, we and they know that Santa doesn't exist, but what is interesting is that this year the children's demands are different from previous years, even touching if you read what they wrote. Let me read a couple of their requests. This one comes from a child named Jonah. He wrote he says, I don't want anything for Christmas, but I would like to ask you if you can do me a favor.

Can you please find a cure for COVID-19 and give it to us to save the world? Thank you. Right? I want to tell you this boy carries well his name. Another Anthony wrote that he wants a magical button, so he said he could press to transport him away from the wary reality of the pandemic, right? See, we need to tell them about the Lord. Jasmine's list a short and to the point demand. She wrote, this year I would like the end of COVID-19, world peace, climate control and a new Xbox. That's okay too. So our children, so many children are affected and they also experience and perhaps in a more sensitive way what we experience.

They need our attention. They need our prayers. They need the word of God. Children do not have the emotional maturity to understand these things, but we along with the Lord who leads us can and should encourage them to put more and more trust in him even at their young and vulnerable age. So let us pray for our children. If you have your children next to you, just hug them, put your hand upon them, and let's pray. Let's pray. Blessed be his name, whose glorious kingdom is coming and is forever and ever. We as one congregation lift up our children to you, your throne, and pray for great blessings and protection for each one of them.

We pray that their love for you would grow and increase in Yeshua's name. We pray that they will develop an eternal perspective and purpose, not an earthly one. I pray that they will set their minds on things above, not just what's going on here, and that they will be rooted and grounded in your love. I pray that they will come to understand the extent of your love for them. Amen and amen. So let's open our Bibles to Revelation chapter 6 where we are beginning to look at these prophecies of events which will unfold as we reach the day of the Lord.

This chapter brings us at the heart of these moments. Here we're going to witness the opening of the first of the seven seals. These seals will give us a synopsis of the whole period of the seven years which will soon be a reality for our world. Here again, we are encountering the number seven, which is the number of spiritual perfection and completeness. The number seven occurs 31 time in Revelation. We have seen already the seven churches, the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars, the seven spirits of God, and all these sevens to show God's perfect protection for the believers now.

As we turn to the day of the Lord, the tribulation, we're encountering seven seals which contains the judgments for this world. In secular Rome, we find one certain document which required to have seven seals. It was called the okay, which was a testament written for an heir. To make sure that it was genuine, it was required to have seven witnesses who would put their seal on it as men's inheritance to men. These wars and calamities are really wars of man against man. This is what the book of Revelation will tell us. But thank God that he will limit the damages, limiting the time of the destruction of these seals.

And yet, through these things, he's always offering his all inheritance for anyone who would look at the lamp of God for salvation is there throughout all Revelation. Let us go to the text and read about the the first seal which opens up to allow the first horseman of the Apocalypse to enter the world scene. We will spend a little more time on the first horseman for the study of prophecies very much like mathematics, right? If you get the first thing right, the rest will flow. Revelation 6 verses 1 to 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.

And I looked and behold a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. Here I want to tell you that the mood drastically changes from the previous chapter where the lion of Judah, who is the lamb of God, took the scroll from God's the father hand. This act brought those in heaven, all the angels and all the redeem men to sing and worship together the Messiah. Okay, they are so many, by the way, that John could not count them.

However, as soon as Yeshua opened the first seal, there seems to be complete silence in heaven as the four horsemen are unleashed one after the other to execute judgment on earth. Who then is this individual with a white horse, with a crown and with a bow? And why a bow? Where are the arrows? Or maybe should we understand something else than an instrument of war? And notice the speed and the power behind this horseman conquest. Twice the word conquering is mentioned. He want to conquer and conquering as a wild beast unleashed from its cage because you know what?

And Jesus tells us he knows he doesn't have much time. Who is he then? The most popular interpretation is that this man, this individual is the Messiah himself who enters the world to conquer it. This is a very convenient interpretation for those who think that the church will change the world for they see these events occurring right after the resurrection and following. The strange this strange idea, by the way, came right after the departure of John the Apostle. It was as if they could not wait either. It was in about 130 AD when Irenaeus, a church father and theologian who came out with this idea and others followed.

He believed that the church will change the world, and so he thought that this man would be Christ. Later another in around 270 AD, his name is Victorinus of had an even more novel idea. He understood that the white horse as the gospel and the writer, the Holy Spirit of God. I want to tell you that these things began then, and today it is still the main Christian denomination belief, the Catholics. And it is increasing especially among many Protestants who moved away from the literal meaning of the Scriptures. And now, like the others, believe that Christianity will change the world.

But these interpretation are like arrows one shoots in the air with the hope of hitting a target that is nowhere in sight. The reason behind their belief is that this writer is the Messiah because in Revelation 19:11 Yeshua comes also on a white horse. So they make that connection fit into their theology. But it doesn't match up. These two are two different. This is what Revelation 19 says, 19:11 and 12. Says, and I saw heaven open and behold the white horse. And he who sat on it, it is called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and wages war.

And his eyes are like a flame of fire around his head are many diadems. And he has a name written on him which no one knows except himself. You know why because he's divine. Divine not one name can explain who Yeshua is. And so the two writers have so little in common and the events are very different. First the Messiah in Revelation 19 wears a crown called a diadem, a crown given to kings. And he wears many of these crowns, meaning that the writer in Revelation 6 has a Stephanus, a crown given to conquerors. There are different crowns.

And we need to see also Revelation 14 where Yeshua also wears a Stephanus at his second coming, the same as the one the individual in Revelation 6 wears. For he will see that there are three renderings of the second coming in Revelation. But we are told that the Messiah is actually a golden one. A golden one. Jesus wears both crowns. He wears many diadems and a golden Stephanus. And only he can. Why? Because he's divine. But this writer in Revelation 6 has only one Stephanus that was given to him and only for a short time that is for seven years, seven years.

And furthermore, both Revelation 19 and 14, the second coming is occurring at the end of the seals and of the trumpets and of the bowls. Whereas in Revelation 6 Yeshua is in heaven, not on a horse, and he's opening the first seal which begins the moment of tribulation. He cannot be there at the same time in this in that sense. Two book ends of time, one occurring at the very beginning and this and name writer and the latter one as the Messiah occurring at the end of the tribulation is true victory. And besides to insist that Revelation 6 speaks of the Messiah or the Holy Spirit or the church writing a horse does not give a good name for Jesus.

For after 2000 years, the results are actually very pitiful. Christianity is very far from having succeeded to change much of the world. In fact, it's the opposite. The world is getting into the churches more and more. Let us then be thoroughly biblical in our interpretation for this is the safest way to rightly understand the Scriptures. No passage of the Bible stands by itself. All are connected and one interpretation should find support elsewhere in the Scripture, especially especially when we study the book of Revelation. Who then is this individual and what does he bring to earth?

Looking at the other prophecies of the end times, they all agree in saying that the tribulation begins with a false peace treaty on earth and then the wars begin. This false peace treaty would last three and a half years which will be brought by the Antichrist. We will see that these passages together which will confirm that the white horse, okay, is sitting actually the Antichrist himself. We can begin by noticing that this from the phrase in Revelation 19:11 because we're going to see that throughout Revelation, the Antichrist and the forces of evil will always imitate the forces of God.

In the Revelation 19:11 which speaks of Yeshua final coming on earth and which says and behold the white horse and the one seated on it is repeated verbatim in Revelation 6:2 about the Antichrist coming who will do everything in his power to replace the Messiah and make believe that he is the one. He will pretend to be the savior of the world, imitating the Messiah but leading the world in chaos. Be ready for so many imitation that we will see in there. Let us see what the other prophets are saying, and it is when we connect many of these prophecies that this mysterious writer is not that mystic after all.

In fact, it becomes very comprehensible. Let us begin with the prophet Daniel who gives us a pattern to follow and who also gives us the duration of the tribulation as John does. 500 years before the coming of the Messiah already Daniel predicted the exact time as when he Yeshua was coming in the first century. In fact, many Jews expected the Messiah because of his prophecies. He also predicted that the Messiah was to be killed and that he was to be resurrected. And it happened exactly at the same time when he said it would. Daniel also gives us a detailed prophecies of the moments between the resurrection of the Messiah and the second coming of Yeshua, right?

Of the Messiah, of course, who is Yeshua. That is the seven year tribulation. He wrote that just preceding the second coming, a man will be coming into the scene to rule the world for how long? He says it's seven years. This is where the prophecy goes in Daniel 9:27. And he says, and he will make a firm covenant with many for seven years. But in the middle of the seven years, he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering, and on the wing of abomination will come one who makes desolate even until a complete destruction.

One that is decreed is poured out on the one who makes desolate. Daniel limit the spirit to seven years. However, he divides it into two section of three and a half and three and a half. The last three and a half years would be such an intense and fierce period. John also mentions this period, but in terms of days and of month, 42 months, 1260 days. These are the same period of time, a period which will begin with the second horseman. This is according to the Hebrew calendar, by the way, when we speak of 42 months, 1260 days because it is Hebrew calendar works with 360 days a year.

And so we have here the length of this first false or that is this false Messiah's rule. According to Daniel and John, seven years of which three and a half years or 42 months or 1260 days. After that, of course, there would be wars. Now concerning this great prophecy of Daniel in chapter 9 is a good starting point to unlock the other prophecies. Even among ancient rabbis, they understood these prophecies and read it literally. For instance, in the Talmud, one of them spoke of the seven year cycle in which the son of man will come and then describes each one going from calamity to calamity until at the end he says as to the end of the seventh year that is the son of David will come.

And this is exactly what Daniel says. But above Daniel's prophecy is one that Yeshua himself gives in Matthew 24 where he speaks of the time of tribulation. There again, he spoke of a sort of a false peace that will come over the world. And Yeshua indicates that this false peace will cover the world just before the great war of the tribulation will begin. Jesus compared this moment to the times of Noah. This is what he prophesied. Matthew 24 verse 37 38 but as the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the son of man.

For as in the days before the flood, they were eating, they were drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark. Eating and drinking and marrying are what people do in normal and good times of peace. But Yeshua is here telling us that there will be a complete ignorance or perhaps an unbelief of the flood, of wars, the floods of wars that will be coming to them. This is how powerful I want to tell you this man on the white horse will be. He will make the greater majority of people, okay, believe that they reach some kind of Nirvana.

Yeshua adds in the following verse, and they did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also would it be the coming of the son of man itself. See, a similar thing will happen at the moment of at the end of the first three and a half years. And Paul must have been inspired by this passage when he spoke of the end times and told the believers in Thessalonica who are actually concerned about the end times. This is what he told them. 1 Thessalonians 5 1 2 3. But concerning the times and the season, brethren, you do not need that I should write to you.

For you yourself know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety, this is what we see here. Peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. And besides that, we have also other prophets. I will give you Ezekiel who also gives us the moment preceding the last war, Gog and Magog, which is closely connected with the second coming of Yeshua. Rabbinic commentators who do not have the New Testament believe that the war of Gog and Magog will be the last war before the Messiah comes as this war is directly connected with Armageddon.

And it seems to start it in fact. And there in Ezekiel's prophecy, God spoke to Gog and said, after many days you will be visited, right? In the latter days, you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel. He's referring to Israel back in the land in 1948. And it keeps on which had long been desolate and they were brought out of the nations in plural. And now all of them dwell safely. Just before this attack, Israel sends that she was dwelling safely.

It is such a tragedy that it is repeated twice because we read again in verse 14 and 15 of Ezekiel 38. He says, therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, thus says the Lord God, on that day when my people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? This is when they're going to be attacked. But is this not what we actually kind of seeing today as a prelude to Israel's increasing security little by little by these Arab nations who have begun peace negotiation with her. Israel may very well continue in this seeming peace right up to the coming of the Antichrist who would then ratify or secure the worldwide peace, a false peace for three and a half years.

Guest (Male): Shalom Ariel is a daily radio program emphasizing the Jewish perspective of Scripture. God is not through dealing with Israel, nor will he renege any of the promises he has made to her. Our teacher for this program, Jacques Isaac Gabizon, is a Messianic Jewish believer and Messianic leader at Beth Ariel congregation right here in Montreal. If you've been encouraged by the messages, we'd love to hear from you. Give us a call at 1 888 685 5902 or you may write us at info at Beth Ariel b e t h a r i e l all one word dot c a.

You are also welcome to join us for our Saturday morning services. We are located at 6297 Monkland Boulevard, corner of Madison in NDG. The message is given in English, but we do offer simultaneous translation into French and Russian. Services begin at 11:00 a.m. We have Shabbat school for children of all ages up to and including teens. You may also download audio messages from our website at bethariel.ca and enjoy other in-depth teaching from Jacques Isaac. If you would like to sign up for informative newsletters, log on to our website and add your name to our email list.

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Guest (Female): I will praise you forever, Lord, for you are You alone, Yeshua, are the joy of my life.

Guest (Male): Holy, holy, holy are you, Lord. Holy, holy are you, Lord.