The Rider with a Bow

 

Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of ethe seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 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 6:6:1-2 ESV).

 

There is another point we should noticed in John’s description of the first horseman. He is a rider with a bow. It could be a means to express a soldier who has the training to kill with a bow and arrow; or perhaps we are meant to picture a hunter, with bow in hand, standing over his downed prey.

 

It is tempting to read God’s story that way. But if we did, we would think the first rider is all about bringing death and destruction. There is certainly some of this in John’s vision, however, we should go a bit deeper to see the surprising good news that the One who is skilled with a bow is God. He has worked with a bow for a long time.

 

In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we find a promise that God gave to Noah after the great flood. “I have set my bow in the clouds” God said, “and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth” (Genesis 9:13). We usually understand the bow in the Genesis story as being a “rainbow.” But it is the same word that is used in this story in Revelation.

 

In other words, the first horseman, Jesus, is armed with God’s covenant promise. His goal is to bring God’s promises for the renewal of creation to every part of creation.  This is the central truth we must come away with. God is not interested in bringing destruction in the coming of Jesus’ reign on earth. He is bringing restoration. He is returning the earth to its first glory. This is how He is going to be able to look on it and declare that “it is good” (cf. Genesis 1). All of God’s chosen will finally be at the end of their journey where they will finally be awarded the peace and perfection of heaven coming to earth! That is a day I long to see come quickly!