This Revelation Timeline Decoded post features a video from Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries DTBM, called A SEVEN-MINUTE SUMMARY OF THE END OF HUMANITY–SURVEYING THE TRIBULATION’S SEAL JUDGMENTS.
Video description: The Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries says that Seal # 1: The White Horse & Rider is that global deception, false peace and prosperity and the rise of the superman called the Antichrist.
He says that the Bible does not say how long this period lasts but it could last up to 42 months since the Antichrist is only allowed to do his evil for 42 months. What all happens during this first seal? The Antichrist rises as a superman in the world scene. He solves the Aran-Israeli problem (Dan. 9:27) by making a peace agreement/covenant. Then he allows Israel to build a Temple (Rev. 11:1). Which may take up to 42 months.
This is all a false narrative!
John was given the Revelation in the 90-96 AD, and in Revelation 1:1 Messiah told him that these things would take place shortly.
The white horse of the first seal represents the ‘conquering’ Roman Empire, from 98-117 AD, as under the reign of Emperor Trajan it was a time of its greatest expansion and their military conquests were celebrated by riding ‘white horses’ in their victory parades.
Roman Emperors Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, were descendants of the Isle of Crete, who were famous bowmen, so the ‘bow‘ points directly at them. The ‘crown’ represents the laurel wreathes of victory that were worn by the Caesars after their armies had won a military battle.
Read Revelation 6 – 1st Seal White Horse
Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries says that the Red Horse & Rider is the rapid spread of the Revived Roman Emperor’s widening conquest of humanity through bloodshed and war, in which God tells us that he “takes peace” (v. 4).
He says that the great sword is the same word that is used for a Roman Legionnaire’s smaller, battle sword used for close-in warfare. So this is killing, warfare, and death from fighting.
He properly points out the use of the smaller sword, as the red horse of the second seal represents a bloody time in the Roman Empire from 185-284 AD, as it went into a phase of revolution and civil war for 90 years, during which there were 32 emperors and 27 contenders for the throne.
Read Revelation 6 – 2nd Seal Red Horse
Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries says that the Black Horse & Rider is the spread of famine and scarcity.
He says that it points to upheaval, unrest, and warfare disrupt global food supply chains and there is widespread starvation.
The black horse of the third seal represents a period of gloom and despair, as the Romans suffered under excessive taxes that were needed to pay for wars. The pricing for wheat and barley point to food scarcity from 222-235 AD.
Read Revelation 6 – 3rd Seal Black Horse
Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries says that the Pale Horse & Rider is the horrific duo of Death and Hades.
He says that the death takes the body and the Grave or Hades takes the soul. The means of such death across the world will be all of the warfare and famine of the second and third seals, plus the addition of most likely pestilences and plagues called “beasts”. All told the first half of the Tribulation’s seven-year (Daniel’s last week of the 70) is a net loss of one in four humans.
The pale horse of the fourth seal represents 1/4th of Romans dying from famine, plague, pestilence and violence, from 250-300 AD. The word ‘earth‘ is pointing to the Roman Empire as the ‘land’ of prophecy.
Read Revelation 6 – 4th Seal Pale Horse
Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries says that the Prayers of the Martyrs are unleashed.
He says that just as our prayers for God’s Kingdom to come are going to be reflected in His wrath during the Tribulation, here we see those who have been slain for their witness for Christ. They are in heaven, so they are perfected, so nothing they do is wrong or sinful. It is righteous in Heaven to ask God to judge the evildoers of this Earth. The martyrs pray, and God powerfully responds. Those prayers break forth in the next seal. As if a global dictator, global wars, famines, pestilences, and death were not enough, now we see God’s Wrath in action. All of the troubles of the Tribulation so far were generated by humans. Now comes a little taste of the Wrath of God.
The sixth seal represents the millions of martyrs who were killed by the Roman Empire, especially the Smyrna church era martyrs who Emperor Diocletian persecuted for ten years, from 303-312 AD. Their blood cried out for Elohim to avenge their deaths.
Read Revelation 6 – 5th Seal Martyrs
Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries says that the Wrath of God is unleashed and the whole Earth shakes.
What an awful time that will be. God unleashed six forms of wrath and touches every level of humanity. Look at the exact wording John uses.
Earthquakes in the prophecy represent great political upheavals. Eastern Emperor Constantine defeated Diocletian’s army in 312 AD, which ended the persecutions. Diocletian (the Sun) was so panic stricken, he died insane. Constantine defeated emperors Maxentius and Licinius to become sole ruler of both west and east by 324 AD. The Roman leaders (stars) fell and their power receded as a scroll. The mountains and islands that were moved out of place, were the countries and people that were affected by this political change.
Read Revelation 6 – 6th Seal Earthquake
The seal judgments are not about the antichrist or the end times, as Dr. John Barnett proclaims.
They were about judgment of the pagan Roman Empire, which Satan had used to persecute Messiah’s Ekklesia of saints, when they killed millions in barbaric ways.
Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries teaches a false, futuristic fulfillment of the 70th week of Daniel 9, the Olivet Discourse and the prophecies in Revelation.
The 70th week of Daniel 9 is about Messiah’s ministry and His blood sacrifice as the Spotless Lamb to atone for our sins. It has nothing to do with the antichrist or the end times.
The Olivet Discourse foretold the events that would lead to the desolation of Jerusalem, the second temple and the Jewish nation; as punishment for the Jewish leaders continuing in rebellion against the Heavenly Father and for delivering His Son up to be killed. It has nothing to do with the antichrist or the end times.
Most of the prophecies in Revelation have been fulfilled in exacting detail during the last 1,900 years. It describes the historical narrative of the Satan-empowered leaders of the Roman beast kingdom (pagan Emperors > antichrist beast Popes > false prophet Jesuit Superior Generals) fighting against Messiah and His saints.
The explanations of Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries serve to deflect blame away from the enemy in Rome, and to mislead the end-times saints so that they’re not prepared for how the end-times will play out, and don’t know the context of Messiah’s return.
On the Bible Prophecy Decoded website you will find summary PDF’s, links to request free PDF’s on my books and links to order printed books.
#johnbarnett #dtbm #discoverthebookministries
Hope you can clarify something for me. Revelation 1:7 says those who pierced Jesus will see Him coming with the clouds. But it was from 98-117 AD that the Romans were CONQUERING. Romans ARE the ones who pierced Jesus and their conquering isn’t a punishment. Granted, the apostate Jews are the ones who pushed that He be killed. Did the Romans have an issue with the apostate Jews after their city, temple and government had been destroyed in 70 AD? It sounds to me like maybe Revelation was written prior to 66 AD? No one who pierced Jesus would still be alive when the first seal was opened in 185 AD.
Yes, the Romans had a problem with the Jews in a second uprising called the Bar Kokhba revolt in 132-136 AD. After the revolt, the Emperor renamed the area Syria Palaestina, to eliminate the name of Judea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_Kokhba_revolt
Revelation could have been written early, but it doesn’t change the fulfillment of the prophecies.
No, the first seal is not a judgment. It’s designed to set up the narrative of Revelation, which is the historical battle between the Satan-empowered leaders of the Roman beast kingdom fighting against Messiah and His saints: pagan Emperors > antichrist beast Popes > false prophet Jesuit Superior Generals.
The Roman Emperor is riding on the white horse of victory in the first seal, and Messiah is riding the white horse of victory in Revelation 19 as he defeats the leaders of the Roman beast kingdom.
Thank you for your response and for the information! I’ve added the Bar Kokhba Revolt to my notes.
So if Revelation 1:7 was written in 90-96 AD, then “those who pierced Him” would have been over 100 years old when the Bar Kokhba Revolt occurred. This further makes me believe that John wrote Jesus’ Revelation soon before 66 AD. Chapter 52 in your Revelation Decoded book explained why Rev. 11:1-2 does not hold water for a pre-66 AD writing….. “reed LIKE a rod” is clearly referring to the guidance of the Gospel (which is punishing to those who do not believe/obey). But Paul was imprisoned multiple times from 57-65 or 68 AD, so I feel like this is the same time frame that John would have been imprisoned at Patmos? We’ll never know for certain, I guess.
I appreciate the explanation of the first seal. I had to re-read chapter 11 in your Revelation Decoded book. I was believing that Jesus Christ was ALL of the white horse and the “different” red horse was His adversary, but you pointed out that the crown in this verse is the Roman garland crown “stephanos” which is different from Messiah’s crown in Rev. 19:12. That makes it crystal clear that the rider on the white horse is the Roman Empire! Every little detail and every single word carries such importance.
Thank you again, David! May God continue to bless your work and your ministry.
Thanks for sharing, David. Look forward to more.