I have also noticed that no one else (I have ever seen" writes down word for word what the Lord said. I am not embarrassed that Jesus spoke to me. I have written His words over and over again on different threads. That way people can judge His words.
John wrote, "And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon." I still say, John was expecting someone to be "found." Whether or not the word "search" occurs, "found" usually goes with a "search." Jesus' words to me:
"John watched a search to find one worthy to open the seals—a search that ended in failure—and that is the reason John wept much: no man was found worthy. However, if you read ahead, you find that I was found worthy to break the seals. Why then was I not found in that first search?”
You can go ahead and argue that there was no search, but Jesus called it a search and that is good enough for me. What we call it is really a side issue. What is important is WHY Jesus was not found?
True: it was on a MUCH larger scale: heaven, then earth, then under the earth.
Ha ha! Not quite! Jesus was speaking about why John wept much. John was weeping because the search HE WATCHED ended in failure. That was the very reason why he was weeping. "Much" tells us it was not for a few seconds. Anyway, it was an ANGEL leading this. (We can guess that God sent the angel. )
What you are missing: Jesus is showing John EXACTLY what He wants John to see. In other words, Jesus WANTED John to see a search that ended in failure. It is up to us to come up with Jesus intent. WHY did He want John to see a search end in failure? Then Jesus be found worthy later. WHY? We probably will not find His intent by arguing details.
I was certainly along when Jesus spoke to me. But that is not what you mean. No, I am certainly not alone in this belief or theory. There are others and the list is growing. For example, there is a book called "Red Moon Rising," by Peter Goodgame. I found he believes Revelation very much as I do. Then I found a youtube video of someone in Asia teaching Revelation and found he also was teaching the first seal is the church.
By the way, there are commentaries that agree;
Coffman Commentaries:
1. "The white horse ..." The color here is significant, for its contrasts with the colors of the other horses; and nowhere in Revelation is white used otherwise than as a symbol of purity, holiness, glory, etc. "In the book of Revelation, white is never used of anything evil."[10] The white throne upon which God sits is an example.
2. The choice of a "horse" in this symbolism means "war." It is a righteous war, for the horse was white, indicating truth and righteousness. "This war began when Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, and his disciples began to go everywhere at his command."[11]
3. The rider wore a crown which was "given to him," not a crown extorted through the atrocities of war, but a gift of God. A "crown" in the Scriptural sense upon the head of some profane conqueror is impossible to believe. Only Christ fits the picture.
4. The rider on this white horse went forth "conquering and to conquer," expressions used extensively elsewhere in the New Testament of Christ. "We feel sure that had you never heard another interpretation you would at once have said, `This is the Conquering Christ
He perhaps missed it in that it is the conquering CHURCH, not Christ per se. he continues:
Some little time has been devoted to this opening of the first seal, because the way it is interpreted will color all that follows. For example, if this crowned rider on the white horse with the bow in his hand is understood to mean Jesus Christ and his worldwide program of preaching the gospel, it is clear enough that it cannot possibly refer to some relatively short period of history, but to the entire dispensation reaching from the First Advent to the Second Advent. Thus we confidently interpret it. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14).
Expository Notes: By the white horse is generally understood the gospel, so called in regard of the divinity and spotless purity of its doctrine: the rider upon this horse is Christ, who rode swiftly in the ministry of the apostles, and other faithful teachers in the first ages of Christianity; and he rode with a bow in his hand, and a crown on his head: with a bow, that is, with threatenings and terrors denounced against his enemies before they were inflicted upon them, as the bow is first held in the hand, then the arrow prepared upon the string, and at last shot forth: and with a crown, denoting that royal state of kingly dignity and honour to which Christ, the Lamb that was slain, was now exalted; and thus he rode on conquering and to conquer, until he had consummated his victories, in a glorious triumph over his enemies, namely, in the conversion of some, and destruction of others; thus the opening of the first seal gave the church a very encouraging and comfortable prospect of the victories, successes and triumphs, of Christ, notwithstanding the rage, subtlety, and power, of all his enemies: Christ rode on with a bow in his hand, and with a crown on his head, conquering and to conquer, until his arrows were sharp in the hearts of his crucifiers; and will thus ride on till the people fall under him, and all his enemies become his footstool.
Matthew Poole:
2. Hence it followeth, that many of the things prophesied are fulfilled; ...
3. I take it for granted also, that things happened in the same order as is here described; so as the things under the second seal came not to pass till those prophesied of under the first seal were, in a great measure, accomplished, &c.
Some, by this white horse, understand the gospel; others, the Roman empire.
Justin Edwards Commentary: l. There are those who suppose that the seven seals and the seven trumpets run, either wholly or in part, parallel with each other in time, each carrying the history of the church and the world down to the era of millennial glory. Such of course apply the sixth seal to the mighty revolutions, commotions, and overturnings that immediately precede the millennial reign of Christ. But it seems impossible to reconcile this view with the plain words of the apostle in chap Revelation
Adam Clarke Commentary A white horse - Supposed to represent the Gospel system, and pointing out its excellence, swiftness, and purity.
John Gill commentary
And I saw, and behold a white horse,.... Representing the ministration of the Gospel in the times of the apostles, which were just now finishing, John being the last of them, who saw this vision; and the "horse" being a swift, majestic, and warlike creature, and fearless of opposition and war, may design the swift progress of the Gospel in the world, the majesty, power, and authority with which it came, and opposition it met with, and which was bore down before it; and its "white" colour may denote the purity of Gospel truths, the peace it proclaims, the joy brings, and the triumph that attends it, on account of victories obtained by it,
and he that sat on him had a bow; with arrows; the bow is the word of the Gospel, and the arrows the doctrines of it;
and he went forth, conquering and to conquer; in the ministration of the Gospel which went forth, as did all the first ministers of it, from Jerusalem, to the several parts of the world; from the east, on which side of the throne was the first living creature, who called upon John to come and see this sight, as the standard of the tribe of Judah, which had a lion upon it, was on the east side of the camp of Israel; and out of Zion went forth the word of the Lord, which was very victorious, both among Jews and Gentiles, to the conversion of thousands of them, and to the planting of a multitude of churches among them, and to the setting up and advancing the kingdom of Christ; but inasmuch as yet all things are not made subject to him, he is represented as going forth in the Gospel, still conquering, and to conquer, what remain to be conquered:
had a bow] The doctrine of the gospel, whereby the people fall under him, Psalms 45:4.
As you can see, I am FAR from the only one that sees the first seal as the gospel going forth.
Perhaps you should spend some time reading the commentaries..
( I had to remove almost all of your post and 8 commentaries due to server rules.)
John wrote, "And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon." I still say, John was expecting someone to be "found." Whether or not the word "search" occurs, "found" usually goes with a "search." Jesus' words to me:
"John watched a search to find one worthy to open the seals—a search that ended in failure—and that is the reason John wept much: no man was found worthy. However, if you read ahead, you find that I was found worthy to break the seals. Why then was I not found in that first search?”
You can go ahead and argue that there was no search, but Jesus called it a search and that is good enough for me. What we call it is really a side issue. What is important is WHY Jesus was not found?
True: it was on a MUCH larger scale: heaven, then earth, then under the earth.
Ha ha! Not quite! Jesus was speaking about why John wept much. John was weeping because the search HE WATCHED ended in failure. That was the very reason why he was weeping. "Much" tells us it was not for a few seconds. Anyway, it was an ANGEL leading this. (We can guess that God sent the angel. )
What you are missing: Jesus is showing John EXACTLY what He wants John to see. In other words, Jesus WANTED John to see a search that ended in failure. It is up to us to come up with Jesus intent. WHY did He want John to see a search end in failure? Then Jesus be found worthy later. WHY? We probably will not find His intent by arguing details.
I was certainly along when Jesus spoke to me. But that is not what you mean. No, I am certainly not alone in this belief or theory. There are others and the list is growing. For example, there is a book called "Red Moon Rising," by Peter Goodgame. I found he believes Revelation very much as I do. Then I found a youtube video of someone in Asia teaching Revelation and found he also was teaching the first seal is the church.
By the way, there are commentaries that agree;
Coffman Commentaries:
1. "The white horse ..." The color here is significant, for its contrasts with the colors of the other horses; and nowhere in Revelation is white used otherwise than as a symbol of purity, holiness, glory, etc. "In the book of Revelation, white is never used of anything evil."[10] The white throne upon which God sits is an example.
2. The choice of a "horse" in this symbolism means "war." It is a righteous war, for the horse was white, indicating truth and righteousness. "This war began when Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, and his disciples began to go everywhere at his command."[11]
3. The rider wore a crown which was "given to him," not a crown extorted through the atrocities of war, but a gift of God. A "crown" in the Scriptural sense upon the head of some profane conqueror is impossible to believe. Only Christ fits the picture.
4. The rider on this white horse went forth "conquering and to conquer," expressions used extensively elsewhere in the New Testament of Christ. "We feel sure that had you never heard another interpretation you would at once have said, `This is the Conquering Christ
He perhaps missed it in that it is the conquering CHURCH, not Christ per se. he continues:
Some little time has been devoted to this opening of the first seal, because the way it is interpreted will color all that follows. For example, if this crowned rider on the white horse with the bow in his hand is understood to mean Jesus Christ and his worldwide program of preaching the gospel, it is clear enough that it cannot possibly refer to some relatively short period of history, but to the entire dispensation reaching from the First Advent to the Second Advent. Thus we confidently interpret it. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14).
Expository Notes: By the white horse is generally understood the gospel, so called in regard of the divinity and spotless purity of its doctrine: the rider upon this horse is Christ, who rode swiftly in the ministry of the apostles, and other faithful teachers in the first ages of Christianity; and he rode with a bow in his hand, and a crown on his head: with a bow, that is, with threatenings and terrors denounced against his enemies before they were inflicted upon them, as the bow is first held in the hand, then the arrow prepared upon the string, and at last shot forth: and with a crown, denoting that royal state of kingly dignity and honour to which Christ, the Lamb that was slain, was now exalted; and thus he rode on conquering and to conquer, until he had consummated his victories, in a glorious triumph over his enemies, namely, in the conversion of some, and destruction of others; thus the opening of the first seal gave the church a very encouraging and comfortable prospect of the victories, successes and triumphs, of Christ, notwithstanding the rage, subtlety, and power, of all his enemies: Christ rode on with a bow in his hand, and with a crown on his head, conquering and to conquer, until his arrows were sharp in the hearts of his crucifiers; and will thus ride on till the people fall under him, and all his enemies become his footstool.
Matthew Poole:
2. Hence it followeth, that many of the things prophesied are fulfilled; ...
3. I take it for granted also, that things happened in the same order as is here described; so as the things under the second seal came not to pass till those prophesied of under the first seal were, in a great measure, accomplished, &c.
Some, by this white horse, understand the gospel; others, the Roman empire.
Justin Edwards Commentary: l. There are those who suppose that the seven seals and the seven trumpets run, either wholly or in part, parallel with each other in time, each carrying the history of the church and the world down to the era of millennial glory. Such of course apply the sixth seal to the mighty revolutions, commotions, and overturnings that immediately precede the millennial reign of Christ. But it seems impossible to reconcile this view with the plain words of the apostle in chap Revelation
Adam Clarke Commentary A white horse - Supposed to represent the Gospel system, and pointing out its excellence, swiftness, and purity.
John Gill commentary
And I saw, and behold a white horse,.... Representing the ministration of the Gospel in the times of the apostles, which were just now finishing, John being the last of them, who saw this vision; and the "horse" being a swift, majestic, and warlike creature, and fearless of opposition and war, may design the swift progress of the Gospel in the world, the majesty, power, and authority with which it came, and opposition it met with, and which was bore down before it; and its "white" colour may denote the purity of Gospel truths, the peace it proclaims, the joy brings, and the triumph that attends it, on account of victories obtained by it,
and he that sat on him had a bow; with arrows; the bow is the word of the Gospel, and the arrows the doctrines of it;
and he went forth, conquering and to conquer; in the ministration of the Gospel which went forth, as did all the first ministers of it, from Jerusalem, to the several parts of the world; from the east, on which side of the throne was the first living creature, who called upon John to come and see this sight, as the standard of the tribe of Judah, which had a lion upon it, was on the east side of the camp of Israel; and out of Zion went forth the word of the Lord, which was very victorious, both among Jews and Gentiles, to the conversion of thousands of them, and to the planting of a multitude of churches among them, and to the setting up and advancing the kingdom of Christ; but inasmuch as yet all things are not made subject to him, he is represented as going forth in the Gospel, still conquering, and to conquer, what remain to be conquered:
had a bow] The doctrine of the gospel, whereby the people fall under him, Psalms 45:4.
As you can see, I am FAR from the only one that sees the first seal as the gospel going forth.
Perhaps you should spend some time reading the commentaries..
( I had to remove almost all of your post and 8 commentaries due to server rules.)
We tend to hold on to or believe someone that matches our personal belief. 2 Thes 2:3 Day of the lord, falling way first, man of sin. "First" in this case is as in sequence verse 3. So the first thing after the day of the Lord will be the falling away and the revealing of the man of sin. Since this had not happened the thessalonians could still expect the Rapture(caught up)
