The first seal was closed at Nicea...

The four horsemen of the Apocalypse are some badass characters indeed. Imperialism, Violence, Unfair Taxes and Oathiness for lack of better words. In this thread I will focus on the first of these horsemen, the Archer, and I will relate the scroll with the seven seals to church history.

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.

With his far-reaching aims and means and with his divine right as king, the conquering mounted archer of Revelation 6 was Constantine the Great who transformed Christendom into a world power and a real kingdom, or rather, a full fledged world empire for the church to play with. After a vision of the sign of the cross before an important battle, together with the words 'In hoc signo vinces' or 'In this sign, conquer!', Constantine the Great decided he needed Christ on his side and put the church on his payroll, so he could bring the withering Roman Empire to epic new heights:

-- The first seal was closed at the first ecumenical council in Nicea in 325 AD.

en.wikipedia.org...

The First Council of Nicaea (/naɪˈsiːə/; Greek: Νίκαια [ˈni:kaɪja]; Turkish: Iznik) was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. This first ecumenical council was the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom.

With Constantine the Great and his ageing Roman Empire in dire need of new blood and reform, the Church went from being a few congregations scattered around the Mediterranean Sea with no central administration or real power other than a bickering crowd of bishops-- to becoming the Roman Catholic priesthood of the [to their knowledge] mightiest world power ever to have existed. Constantine was a conquerer alright. He bloody well conquered what the Church would call the kingdom of God. Quite something to put on a CV i suppose.

a reply to: Utnapisjtim

Check out the very awesome song from Johnny Cash..Cash

Talks about the four horseman...Song is called "When the man comes around"

a reply to: Utnapisjtim
Firstly, I have always argued that the first horseman is "plague" or "pestilence". That is the significance of the bow, which identifies the bringer of plague both in the Psalms and in Homer. It is an image which the people of the time would recognise.
Secondly, my reading of that chapter is that the four horsemen come together, or nearly so.
Plague, war and famine come first, fanning out across the world, and Death follows on behind to pick up the corpses.
If you imagine them as coming at long intervals, then plague, war and famine would be happening without Death, which would be absurd.
That chapter is one massive catastrophe, with four elements.

a reply to: DISRAELI

That would be about right if you refer to Good Omens by Gaiman/Pratchett, that's more of a franchise compared to the good lord's word in the Apocalypse, but still quite nice and accurate prophecies indeed, but that's another thread all together.

a reply to: Utnapisjtim
I wasn't referring to anything like that.
My interpretation comes from examining the chapter itself and the Biblical background, as outlined in my own threads;
Revelation; 4 Horsemen-why? and
Revelation; 4 Horsemen- how?

a reply to: DISRAELI

There's no doubt in my my mind that "The Church" Is the embodiment of the Antichrist, all the way down to being the whore who is drunk on the blood of saints.

I can't imagine a "god" that would punish all of humanity with the likes of plagues and pestilence, but we have historic proof that "The Church" deliberately spread disease to native populations of the lands that they wanted control over.

a reply to: DISRAELI

Then you are free to join in with my critics in my second thread of this "series" of threads as well, and look out for more, I'll serve them one by one ==> www.abovetopsecret.com... -- "The second seal was closed by Augustine"

The book of Revelation is not predictions or prophecies of past, present or future historical events.It is written in signs and is about ONE thing…. .The UNVEILING of Yahoshua (the creator God is salvation/deliverance) as it clearly states in the 1st verse.The literal history event interpretations of doom porn may be entertaining to some however it is far, far from any semblance of the truth.

a reply to: Rex282

Real life mimics art. As above so below.

I believe the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, tells a story of every individual's predetermined challenges and goals to be achieved in this reality, that we agreed to attend.

There is such a thing as precognition, and, there is nothing new, or that hasn't already happened.

a reply to: Utnapisjtim

White Horse is White House, Rider is Obama ( Bow, Kenyan roots and Crown is the title )

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: Rex282

Real life mimics art. As above so below.

I believe the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, tells a story of every individual's predetermined challenges and goals to be achieved in this reality, that we agreed to attend.

There is such a thing as precognition, and, there is nothing new, or that hasn't already happened.

The scriptures are an allegory of archetypes(Israel-mankind etc)but not a strict one.In others words Israel IS the archetype of mankind but mankind will NOT be “repeating “events” of Israels history.There are no predictive “historical events” as many believe they are.Even of Yahoshua

The prophetic tendencies of mankind to extrapolate historical events are all in the mind making false connections of patterns and believing them to “come true” when that is not The Truth at all.This is even more so of the book of Revelation.It is NOT about a great cataclysm that is the “end of the world” with nefarious characters like The Antichrist and 10 headed beasts and serpents…that is ALL mans vain imagination creating fantasy.

The Hermetic “as above so below” is a catch slogan to feed the illusion of fantasy.I enjoyed Battle Star Galactica II however ..This has all happened before and will happen again” is not true.Nothing has happened before and nothing will happen gain.

The universe as mankind perceives it may be a “spooky” place that Einsteins observation of nonlocal mechanical quantum entanglement however it is NOT mysticism in the least.The Dungeons and Dragons fantasy that most people engage in with this stuff is not sane.

Simply put the Book of Revelation is a metaphorical allegory of the “salvation/deliverance of ALL of creation from the realm of death.That is as close as it gets to what is perceived as fantasy.NONE of the described events are literal.There is no man with white hair that shines brighter than the sun with bronze feet.There are no “literal” horseman,angels,vials,trumpets,plagues et etc…..it is ALL metaphor.

It is part of the testimony that testifies of the ONLY Thing ALL of the scriptures is about..Yahoshua….the creator God IS salvation/deliverance from the realm of death…John is clearly told from the outset not everyone will understand it(just as Yahoshua told the disciples).The scriptures IS not a book (of books) like a "manual " to “apply” to your life as the religious have so foolishly attempted with disastrous results.

However in one sense that is it’s underlying purpose.To prove how foolish the religious carnal mind is.The “theories” surrounding the book of Revelation are legion.EVERYONE believes they “know” some “mystery”!!!..yet it is all delusion.There is only one meaning to it and any religious fantasy is incorrect.If it was just”fantasy apocalypse” like fantasy football no harm no foul..but IT ISN”T.

There are people that SINCERELY believe their delusion whole heartily and PUSH it on others greatly effecting many peoples life.I’ve know MANY of these people and they change there”epiphany “ every few years (or minutes).That’s the beauty of ATS.It’s motto is clearly aimed at them.When multimillions believe in the monster under the bed it is up to those that aren’t afraid to kill the monster.

The fact (possible the only fact) is t mankinds perception of their “life” is truly overflowing with delusion.It all stems from mankinds nature of religion.The amalgamation of all a person experiences form their belief in faith of their Belief System(BS) religion…..and that religion is WRONG!There are very simple facts very few will ever “believe’ no less know…..ex…things are not the color you see them(color is a construct of the mind)…NOTHING is even close to being solid(they are on average 99.999999999999999999% empty space) …..etc etc…

Mans perception of their life is delusion based on the belief of their BS.Religious -religion delusion is the worst kind.They believe they “know” truth yet know NOTHING of the truth at all.The “God” they “believe in has been made in “their” image and is themselves YET…they are completely blind to it and inflict their “God” on others with everyones God being different.... THAT is insanity….That is NOT as above so below.The Emerald Tablet isn’t even green!

The doom porn delusion of Revelation is an abomination to the truth.It is so much so that those that don’t even believe in a “religion-religion are infected by it.It's mass insanity of a “nation”(not the USA but “people”) of chicken littles!!!Unfortunately it will not stop.Revelation itself says let it continue because man will continue being man..delusional…believing in fantasy and causing harm to others believing they are “helping”.

You are partially correct, however life is art because art is creation.Everything in the material /physical realm is IN the process of creation/conception…growing.It is not fully formed.The lump of clay does not know what it is going to be because ....it has never been what it will be ....before.To reduce the creation of the artist to doctrines of religion or magical mysticism is insanity of the highest order.The work of the artist will be “unveiled” but not in it’s present form.It isn’t even clay yet!!! Most of it’s dirt over there and water over here.

When the dirt and water “come together” the clay can be molded.The clay has ZERO say in its coming together .It had none when it was just dirt and water and has none when it is clay and what it will be formed into.It is ALL the artist prerogative not by as above so below to “achieve the wonders of one”…The creator is NOT their art nor is the art the creator nor will it ever be the creator .A GREAT artist can take the most simple compounds and make them into a work of great art.

originally posted by: DISRAELI
a reply to: Utnapisjtim
Firstly, I have always argued that the first horseman is "plague" or "pestilence". That is the significance of the bow, which identifies the bringer of plague both in the Psalms and in Homer.

Sure a mounted crowned archer doesn't symbolise a king/emperor with calculated aims with far-reaching consequences? Put together the bow and arrow form a cross. The blade and hilt of the second seal's sword also form a cross. So do the scales of the third seal. And by the fourth seal the cross has become a magic remedy in itself, claimed to have the power to ward off evil, possessions and whatever the inquisition would consider heresy.

Revelation was written at the behest of Constantine....with the collusion of the bishops he performed a sacrilege upon the Holy Writ"
Its heavily edited till even a couple of the books Jesus supposedly preached from were redacted completely
The Story" stolen from as far back as Sumeria....

a reply to: stirling
That is impossible, because Revelation was a known book before Constantine was born.
There are times when a knee-jerk "Constantine did it" simply doesn't work.

a reply to: Utnapisjtim
Yes, because the four horsemen go together as a punishment of the world for the affliction of God's people, matching the four horsemen of Zechariah ch1 and the four chariots of Zechariah ch6.
That's why "plague" fits the situation better than "emperor".
You see I was examining the imagery of Revelation thoroughly rather than superficially.

a reply to: DISRAELI

Revelation takes use of much the same imagery as is found in the Prophets part of the OT. This doesn't necessarily mean that Revelation talks about the same things. This is one of the reasons I'm not making a thread about the four horsemen, but treat them separately in regard to the seven seals. Only then will you see the chronology and synchronicity of these seven descending paradigms (seven seals), laying the framework for the terrors of the seven trumpets, which I will explain along the road as this series progresses.

a reply to: Utnapisjtim

The head of the RC Church is the Pope and he presides over the Roman Curia (another word for House of the Roman Senate) where once the Altar of Victory stood. The Curia used to be the highest authority of the Roman Empire, where the emperor would meet his senators in a sort of State Council. Nowadays the pope and his cardinals meet there, to exercise "supreme, full, and immediate power in the universal Church" according to their own doctrine.

After emperor Constantine the Great, the Altar of Victory was removed and put back and removed again a few times before being removed for good just before the dawn of the 5th c.

Anyway the Altar of Victory included a statue of goddess Victoria the Roman version of the Greek Nike, the Goddess of Victory.

Compare to the last clause of Revelation 6:2:

"he came out conquering, and to conquer."

The word for conquering here is a form of the Greek word 'Nike' compare Strong's G3528 with Strong's G3529, below you can see their definitions

biblehub.com...

3528 nikáō(from 3529 /níkē, "victory") – properly, conquer (overcome); " 'to carry off the victory, come off victorious.' The verb implies a battle" (K. Wuest).

There are quite a few statues of her around the world, but the most famous is possibly the one on top of the Brandenburger Gate in Berlin, where we see Nike (Lat. Victoria) driving a span of four horses. Sounds familiar?