The Second Coming of Christ, Pt. 2, Rev. 19:11-16
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Introduction
Introduction
On our last occasion we were introduced to John’s vision into Heaven whereby his eye is captured by the sight of the Rider on the white horse. We said that the rider is Jesus. We said that the white horse signifies His triumph over his enemies. Hence, it symbolizes His power and rule over all who dare come against Him.
John also characterized Jesus with the name “Faithful and True” indicating that He always is faithful to do the will of the Father and is faithful to His people and word. He lives out truth, for He is the truth. He has never done anyone wrong. He makes war and judges with righteousness. His judgments are always exactly as they should be. He wages the true ‘holy’ war against His enemies. And even His enemies testified that He always spoke the truth and dealt with others in truth.
His eyes are flames of fire showing that He sees all things. Nothing is hid from His eyes. There are no secrets kept from Him. He knows you and me through and through. He is the supreme ruler for He wears ‘many diadems.’ He is over and above all other rulers. He wears a name no one knows except those He chooses to know. He also wears a garment dipped in the blood of His enemies. and His name is the “Word of God.”
So we saw Christ Characterized in the first part.
Now we come to the the second point of this section.
II. Christ’s followers, v.14
He has many followers. While He lived in this world, He had many followers. There were those who followed Him to see what He would do next. They saw Him as entertainment. There were those who followed Him because He was the source of their hope of healing from sickness, leprosy, blindness, deafness or muteness. They basically used Him for their own meeting of what they wanted. I think much in the same way people do today. They saw Him as the source of their daily food, when He fed the 5,000 or 4,000.
At times He vanished from their sight, mostly at night when He pulled away from the crowds into the wilderness to commune with the Father, they awoke to His absence and sought Him ought not because they knew who He was, but because they wanted more give aways.
When He began to talk to them about His being the bread of life and they would have to eat of Him, and that He was the true manna from Heaven, many said this was a hard saying and believed not. And that only those whom the Father had given Him would come unto Him. Many of those following Him left off following Him ().
However, there were also those true disciples, man or woman, who followed Him all the way to the cross. And then all but one of the disciples abandoned Him. Jesus graciously receives them back after His resurrection.
Now we have these followers who will follow him everywhere.
This is an army that follows the Lord on white horses like His. Who are these soldiers?
The word is used of military men ; the garrison at the fortress of Antonia, and Herod's bodyguards, .
Lets look at the clues we are given as we see the soldiers described.
1. They are in Heaven,
Of course, John is seeing in heaven so it is reasonable to assume they were in heaven even if this wasn't mentioned.
In fact, given the context why even mention this? Where else would His army be? This was not a human army, ie. one that was flesh and blood with human weapons of war. This is more like the heavenly army that Elisha saw and that he had his servant see. When his servant went out in the morning he saw with human eyes “an army with horses and chariots was all around the city.”(2 kings 6:15) But when his spiritual eyes were opened he saw “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” ().
In the same way, this is not an earthly army, ie. one on earth ready to fight with flesh and weapons of human warfare. This is a heavenly army.
This is not an earthly army, ie. one on earth ready to fight with flesh and weapons of human warfare. This is a heavenly army.
Thus, their weapons must be spiritual able to fight spirits. In fact, it is not even mentioned that they are armed. For an army, that is inconceivable that it would go to war without weapons. That can only be because they didn't need weapons for Jesus, the rider on the white horse is fighting for them.
They overcame the devil by the blood of the lamb. This fight is the Lord's, not theirs.
2. Second point John uses to describe them is that they are followers of Him.
++Faithful
++Love
++Gracious
These are those who have put there faith in Him. They are followers of Him.
This word doesn't just mean to follow as in going behind or coming behind someone, but actually to accompany as a follower, or a disciple. In other words they follow His movement, His leading into battle. To follow as in being a disciple. The opposite of which would be to follow after other gods. This would be in this case, a warrior following their Leader. Christians are said to be followers of Jesus. It can have as in the gospels a wide sense where people followed Jesus, but a narrow sense in which they leave everything to follow Jesus as did the disciples. In this case it signifies a commitment. A disciple does what his rabbi does. He goes where He goes, mimics his rabbi. So it is here a good evidence that these are Saints who have died and gone to heaven. The primary use of the word refers to those who are followers of Jesus as the Messiah.
This is one of the evidences that these may not be Angels, for the word is not used of Angels following Jesus.
They are either the church, believers of all ages, not the bride described in v.8. They could be all three with no significance given to the difference in description of the garments or they changed their garments from wedding attire to fighting attire.
There is a parallel verse in which would indicate the above, for those with him are "called, chosen and faithful."
the saints come with him.
I have to throw a monkey wrench in the whole thought, because there are those who claim these are angels. They could be angels, cf. for Michael and his angels, There are many passages that indicate this sort of idea “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
however, They could be angels, cf. for Michael and his angels, There are many passages that indicate this sort of idea, , ; Jesus could call legions of angels to his rescue. In , the angels are called ministers who serve him. He will send them out to gather others. This host might be these angels.
Jesus could call legions of angels to his rescue. In , the angels are called ministers who serve him. He will send them out to gather others. This host might be these angels.
Jesus could call legions of angels to his rescue. In , the angels are called ministers who serve him. He will send them out to gather others. This host might be these angels.
The Apostle Paul seems to tell us this army is one of angels, where he describes the same scene.
I think it noteworthy that John doesn’t tell us one way or the other in specifics.
Third, this army follows Him also on white horses. In other words they appear to look just like Jesus but there robes are not dipped in blood.
Fourth, they are clothed in fine linen, which we have already looked at so we don't need to go through it again, except to say it was expensive garment.
Fourth, they are clothed in
fine linen, which we have already looked at so we don't need to go through it again, except to say it was expensive garment.
white and pure. We saw this reference to the righteousness of the saints. White symbolizes victory, holiness.
However, Angels are never described as being clothed in fine linen/bussinos Although angels are described as clothed in white, cf. the angels in the tomb after the resurrection.
They could be both. At any rate it seems they do not actually take part in the battle, It is the sword of the Messiah that smites the enemy. he tramples them in winepress. his is the garment dipped in blood.
What do we know about this army:
1. Most notably, they look just like their leader, clothed in white,
clothed in fine pure linen,
namely clothed in Righteousness.
2. They are riding white horses like their leader. They are victorious like their leader. He is their victory.
3. They are unlike Him for they are unarmed. They need not any weapons because He is the one who fights for them.
4. Their garments are bloodless, they do not fight, they are not bloody.
Jesus does their fighting for them. Their victory doesn't depend upon them, but Christ.
As in the wilderness, and the conquest, when Israel was following the Lord He fought for them and they were victorious. When they followed other gods, they perished.
Given all of this my conclusion is that these are the Saints John sees and not Angels. Nevertheless, Paul made it clear as does Jesus that in this day His Heavenly army of Angels will be involved too.
So it is in our lives too. Christ fights for you. He already won the battle you are fighting. He goes before you and me. You are clothed in His righteousness. He has already paved the way for your victory over your sinful habits. over your spiritual battles. You have only to follow closely behind Him in His path.
We must move on further into our passage.
Now our attention is directed back to the Rider on the white Horse, our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we have further description of Him and what He does as He destroys His enemies.
This is the third part of His Coming.
III. Christ Conquers, v.15-16
In this we see three figures that depict Christ’s Activity when He comes.
A Warrior,
Out of his mouth goes a sharp sword.
It is striking that the sword comes out of His mouth. Most swords are carried in a scabbard, over the shoulder or on a waist belt. And then wielded by the hand. But this is in His mouth. Why? because it symbolizes God speaking. What comes out of the mouth was first in the heart, at least with man. It only stands to reason with God also. The mouth symbolizes speech, words. As in God speaking through the mouth of a prophet, ; but now through His Son, , . As I mentioned in the v.13 with the "word of God" that words refer to actions. In this case the words are like a sharp sword used in judgment of the nations in this case.
Here is the purpose of His sharp sword
striking the nations with a sharp sword
-striking the nations with a sharp sword
He has a sharp sword coming out of his mouth. cf. ; , This is reference to the word of his mouth
This was the broadsword, not the short dagger type of sword.
Purpose:
He uses this sword for the purpose of striking the nations ,
The sword symbolizes the lethal power of the word of his mouth.
he slays the lawless one with the breath of his mouth.
It also tells us in The word of God is the sword of the Spirit.
This metaphor of killing/judging with the Word of God is not unusual in Scripture.
In creation God spoke and it came whatever He spoke came into being.
Jesus spoke to the demons and they were destroyed by going into the herd of pigs.
And as we have just read in . So this will happen here as well.
Notice in v.21 that these were killed by the sword of his mouth. His followers weren't involved in the battle, apparently except as spectators. It was His garment that was dipped in blood, not His followers. It was His sword, His actions that killed the opposition not His followers. Literally it was His word the facilitates this.
It harks back to the OT experiences of Israel, whereby when they were following the Lord, He is the One who went before them into battle with the enemy and defeated them, not them. It seems those OT accounts were like mere practice runs or samples of this great final battle. before the Millennial reign of Christ.
2. Shepherd
he will shepherd them with the rod of iron.
The shepherd's rod was used as a weapon to beat off wolves or other predators, even thieves. It was also used to discipline the unruly sheep. But unlike a shepherd’s rod made of wood, which could break, this one was one of Iron, unbreakable.
This is also described in ; .
Jesus is described as the shepherd in and , not to mention John's gospel . There in Jesus said, "I lay down my life, and I take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself."(,). But now He doesn't come to lay down His life but to take his enemies lives.
This harks back to where ruling with the iron scepter is used to destroy, not rule harshly. He will make them submit. You can see also that he will speak to them in his wrath, which points back to our first picture of destroying with his mouth. And then again in let’s read this psalm this is how he will make his enemies his footstool. But here in v.9 the Messiah breaks them with a rod of iron into pieces like pottery.
As a rod of iron it is strong, unyielding and for the shepherd a weapon used to kill the predators of his sheep.
His is an iron rod, not wood. This is unbreakable. It speaks of total rule, absolute judgment. When He strikes it will kill.
3. Wine maker
he tramples them in a winepress
He will trample the wine press
of the wine of the wrath of the wrath of God the almighty.
Wine is often used to refer to the intoxicating elements of idolatry as though the unbelievers were drunk on it and then here in our text for the blood of judgment , , ; ; . This is related in the OT with “Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them”
27 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 27; ; Also as indicated by it is the blood of those judged by God.
; Also as indicated by it is the blood of those judged by God.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.; ; Also as indicated by it is the blood of those judged by God.
also indicates this scene.
What is emphasized in this passage is that "He himself" will rule, wield the sword, tread the winepress. Christ alone does these things.
WE meet with the fierce anger of God.
The double 'wrath' two synonyms meaning wrath serve to emphasize the severity and the completeness of God's wrath. This is a wrath unlike any other poured out by God. And there were lots of occasions where His wrath was poured out on Israel and other nations mentioned in the OT.
The figure is that the nations will be crushed just like grapes in the winepress. They will be utterly, completely defeated.
Might I remind you that this wrath is what Jesus took for all who put their faith in Him. Ought we not savor Him above all for His unspeakable mercy in taking the punishment for our sin? Absolutely.
IV. The Ultimate Title, v.16
and upon his garment and upon his thigh his name has been written, 'King of Kings and Lord of Lords.'
THe location of this name is upon the robe, in the location of the thigh. Or it is upon His robe and His thigh.
It says, 'upon the garment and upon the thigh of him' the second upon joined by the kai/conjunction defines further the location of name on the robe, it is on the part where the thigh is.
In other words it was in a place where all would be able to see.
What does this mean?
This is a way of emphasizing there is no other like Him. The use of the two doublets stress the preeminence of his person. This was already given to the lamb in .No King above Him, no Lord above Him. He is supreme over all. There is no other like Him.
This goes back to Moses declaration in ; from the lips of the king of Babylon to Daniel. and Paul's declaration to Timothy in ,.
That is why it is such an atrocious sin to place anything above Him in importance in your life. If you think parents, or children or work, or pleasure is more satisfying, more enjoyable, more pleasurable, more valuable than Him, you are making a grave mistake.
When we are drawn away from reading the Bible by a tv show or some activity we find more pleasurable we are demoting God by placing our joy in creation as more important than knowing Him. That is a slap in the face of God.
When we allow making money, or collecting of things, or the company of persons more important than worship of God we are devaluing God by our valuing of those things as more than Him. Beloved that is a grave sin.
Don’t misunderstand me, those things are not necessarily bad, but when they become the supreme source of our satisfaction instead of God, we are minimizing God and magnifying our pleasure. That will always lead to ruin in our lives.
Don’t do it. Worship God alone. Keep in perspective those things in relation to God, to Jesus Christ, who is KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS.
Those who don’t can’t and won’t pray as John does in the end of the book.
This coming of Jesus is what he prays for at the end of this Revelation: even so come Lord Jesus. This is what we should be praying for and looking for.