Revelation 6:1-2 (KJV)

6 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

What if this horseman is not the anti-Christ as many believe, and what if all the horsemen of the apocalypse are not symbolic references pertaining to war in general, but rather specific leaders in the world today? And IF the horsemen are not symbolic but actual, current, world leaders, notice how they are all centered around the theater of war located in Syria.

Let us consider the following regarding Russian leader Vladimir Putin:
He carries a Christian cross. He is a former atheist that turned into a devout member of the Russian Orthodox Church. He wants to usher in a Theocratic government in Russia. He refuses homosexual sin and vows to defend Christianity. His concern is for the Christian minority if Syrian president Assad should fail. He calls for an end of persecution of Christians. His righteous mission is to unleash hell on Isis.

How about the current Russian alliances:
Iran, Syria, Turkey, and China.
Their common cause is to challenge the U.S. and Western-dominated order in Europe and Asia.

There is the Collective Security Treaty Organization: (military alliance) -
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan.

All of these were former Soviet states.

They have an agreement with each other that an act of aggression against one, would be perceived as an act against all.

There is also the Russian led Eurasian Economic Union consisting: of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It's administrative center is located in Moscow and it's purpose is to bolster trade, boost investments in the region, and to serve as a counter weight to Western integration unions.

Recent events:
Is the war shifting back to Crimea? Russia is currently placing 40,000 troops and armored vehicles along the border with Ukraine - prompting fears of a new military invasion. The confrontational rhetoric between NATO and Russia has intensified to levels not seen since the Cold War. Similar movements were seen before the Russian annexation of Crimea, which Putin reminds us that 95.7% of Crimea voted to join Russia. Putin is also preparing for nuclear war. With the Turkish gas line project, Russia can now bypass Ukraine for it's gas supply.

Emergency evacuation of nuclear bombs from the Turkish air base is underway and they are being moved to Romania following the breakdown of talks between Turkey and the U.S. regarding Turkey holding 1500 US airmen hostage at the base. Turkey was demanding full control of the nuclear arsenal. The Romanian air base is the home of U.S. defense shield. To place these bombs in Romania, which neighbors Russia, is further provocation. Russia has entered a joint forces agreement with Armenia which is located on the edge of Turkey and Iran. Russia is now flying strategic bombers out of Iranian air bases. Syria has recently bombed Kurdish rebels where U.S. Special Ops Forces were providing military assistance to Kurdish fighters. The U.S. replied that it will respond if commandos are attacked.

Was this intended to send a message?

Is there another alliance between Turkey and Iran to combat the Kurds?

Why were U.S. Special Ops there anyway?

Is this the last area of influence in the Middle East now that NATO has lost Incirlik?

If we connect the dots, we have Turkey, Iran, and Russia co-operating with each other while Israel is apologizing to Turkey and providing them a check for $20,000,000. Meanwhile, Germany is still working with Turkey regarding refugees, and Angela Merkel has expressed hope that they can remove the sanctions with Russia. All of this is happening while 66% of Germans are now saying that refugees are not welcome, and that Merkel should be removed from office. Germany has since advised it's citizens to stockpile food and water, ordered troops on it's streets and is preparing for a catastrophic event. With Merkel's expectation of receiving 800,000 refuges, it's towns are overwhelmed with struggling to process the number of arrivals, an emergency has been declared and 4,000 troops has been placed on standby. Also, the Deutsche Bank has since collapsed causing a "run" on the bank and financial concerns abroad. 

Will Germany follow suite and align itself with Russia as well? 

The Russian foreign minister spokesperson stated that Saudi Arabia needs to stop bombing targets in Yemen. Will Yemen also follow and join this alliance? The Yemen war is a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Then there is this: while an Israeli delegation is meeting with Egyptian officials in Cairo, Vladimir Putin has offered to host direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The prophetic ramifications of all of this is quite staggering.

As we look at the scripture in Revelation again, we notice that the rider is given a crown, goes forth to conquer, and carries a bow but now arrows. We clearly see President Putin as the leader and orchestrator of all these alliances and unions. Might this constitute a crown (a mark of royal or exalted rank)? We can definitely see him as a conqueror as he indeed looks to be conquering the entire Middle East, while simultaneously evicting the U.S. from the area.

Carrying a bow (but not arrows), represents his powerful arsenal but not launching it, as he is conquering by negotiating and forming alliances. We also see that he is wearing white, symbolizing righteousness, but we are told by Christ to not be deceived. Putin is ex-KGB and has ruthlessly controlled Russian politics and has murdered tens and thousands of his own people. We also believe that Russia is scheduled for destruction in a failed invasion into Israel (Ezek. 38 & 39), there is much that can happen before this event. There are far too many dreams and visions from christian believers about a Russian and/or Chinese invasion into America. So the question remains, will Russia conquer us as well? If not, will they cause a collapse of our economy through their Eurasian alliance?

As of writing this article - the Russian and US relationship has deteriorated over the conflict in Syria to levels more dangerous than the Cold War. Russia is placing 40 mil. citizens into shelters for a 3 day military exercise, suspending it's nuclear pact, and deploying anti-missile systems to Syria. Our military is now told to prepare for a possible nuclear exchange with Russia in Syria. Russia is also combining forces with China in Syria. 

What this simply shows us as believers is just how near these events are, and how rapidly the signs are unfolding, causing us to cry out "get ready, Jesus is coming soon!"

Your thoughts and opinions are welcome.