Gilbert House Fellowship #151: Revelation 4–6

THE FIRST six seals are opened in our study of Revelation this week. Bearing in mind that the meaning of these seals has been debated for 2,000 years, we offer our best understanding of the images and prophecies recorded by John the Revelator.We discuss the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, speculating that the first rider, often interpreted as the spirit of Antichrist (although some incorrectly believe it is Christ), may be Apollo (AKA the Semitic god Resheph and Babylonian god Nergal; both, like Apollo, are archers and gatekeepers of the underworld). We examine descriptive imagery of God on His throne that pagans used to describe the storm-god of the ancient Near East (Zeus/Jupiter/Baal), and highlight links between what John saw heaven with the throne room imagery in Isaiah and Ezekiel.Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date.