# 37 June 2nd 2013 Revelation part 37.
Revelation chapter 19 verses 11-21
In Revelation chapter 16 we saw where the armies of the world will assemble against the Lord at Megiddo.
Then chapter 17 gave us the mystery of the woman that rides the beast and her destruction by the beast.
Chapter 18 gave us the details about the destruction of the beast’s kingdom called Babylon the great.
When we come to chapter 19 verses 11-21 we are picking up where chapter 16 left off.
At that point in chapter 16 the seventh vial had been poured out and destruction came on all cities of the world and
Babylon was completely destroyed.
However the beast and the false prophet were not in Babylon when it was destroyed somehow they escaped.
This is a picture of how satan works he leads people into places of destruction and then abandons them.
Chapter 19 verse 11 we pick back up where 16 left off.
V:1 Now I saw heaven opened…
This opening of heaven is not to go in…
But it is for Jesus and His followers to come out.
The One who ascended to Heaven and had been seated at the Father’s right hand, rises and leaves heaven to take back
the earth from the usurper and then establish His kingdom.
And behold a white horse.
When Jesus entered the world the first time He was meek and lowly…
He was the Savior who died for sinners.
When Jesus was on earth he rode into Jerusalem upon a little donkey…
A donkey symbolizes times of peace.
Here Jesus comes on a horse.
But it is not just a horse it is a white horse.
The horse symbolizes war…
White symbolizes victory.
John sees Jesus riding a white horse.
This means Jesus does not come back to earth as peacemaker but as a victorious warrior.
But white also symbolizes holiness and righteousness…
So when we put all this together it tells us this is a holy war and Jesus is victorious.
Jesus is seen as the conqueror on His war horse coming to destroy the wicked, to overthrow the anti-christ, to defeat
satan and to take control of the earth.
Verse 11 says… And He who sat on the horse was called Faithful and True.
Faithful and True…notice these two words are capitalized the reason for that is because these are names of Jesus.
Jesus is Faithful in contrast to the beast who was unfaithful as we have seen that he broke his covenant with Israel.
Jesus is Truth where the antichrist and the beast were filled with deception and lies.
Faithful = trustworthy, loyal, incorruptible, and steady.
These two names of Jesus ought to encourage all who are going through things…
Jesus is faithful and truthful which means He can be trusted to be loyal and not desert us in the time of need…
And His promises are true and He will fulfill them all.
Here it means Jesus is coming to execute the long time plan of God and the Word of God for the world.
Verse 11 goes on to say in righteousness He judges…
Meaning Jesus’ judgments are always right.
He judges and makes war...
This statement portrays how God’s patience will be exhausted and His holy wrath against sinners will be exercised.
Verse 12…His eyes were like a flame of fire…
Eyes speak of wisdom.
Fire speaks of purity and judgment.
The eyes like a flame fire means Jesus can see right into the soul of man.
This means nothing can escape His penetrating vision which means His judgments are always accurate and just.
And on His head were many crowns.
The Greek word for crowns is diadem.
The crowns indicate total sovereignty and authority showing us Jesus will be the sole ruler of the earth.
Nothing will move, moo, crow or go without His permission.
He had a name written that no one knew but Himself.
The secret name expresses the mystery and greatness of the person Jesus Christ.
Verse 13…He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood…
This blood mentioned here is not representative of the blood Jesus shed on the cross.
Here it is picture of judgment not redemption.
This is the blood of slaughtered enemies as this is not Jesus’ first battle but His last.
He has fought for people throughout redemptive history and His war clothes bear those stains.
So the blood here represents the judgment of Jesus’ enemies.
This verse is referring to Isaiah 63:3.
It is not the blood of Jesus it is the blood of His foes.
And His name is called The Word of God.
As the Word of God Jesus is the image of the invisible God…
The final full revelation from God.
Verse 14…And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
This shows us Jesus is not alone when He leaves heaven nor alone in His conquest.
The armies of heaven ride with Him.
The armies of heaven are composed of…
The church, the tribulation saints, O.T. believers and even angels.
The nature of this event shows how it differs from the rapture.
At the rapture Jesus meets His own in the air…here He comes to earth with them.
At the rapture there is no judgment…in this event it is all judgment.
The whole army is on white horses…
They have white horses because they have overcome and been victorious over the devil and his plans for their lives.
They have on pure white linen which is the righteousness of Christ.
Verse 15…Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.
A sharp sword is a symbol of God’s Word.
This depicts judgment through His spoken Word.
A description of the Word of God is found in Heb. 4:12.
The Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the division of soul and
spirit, and of joints and marrow, as is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Jesus will smite the nations by the Word that comes out of His mouth.
Jesus will win the battle with the power of His Word.
Jesus spoke the Word and the heavens and earth was created…
Jesus spoke to a fig tree and it withered away…
Jesus spoke to storm and it ceased…
Jesus spoke to a legion of demons in a man and they instantly fled.
Jesus wins the battle with His Word.
And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.
Rod of iron means absolute and unchanging.
All those who come back with Jesus come to rule and reign not to execute judgment that is His job.
Verse 16…And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written…
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
It is said that in the Bible there are 97 different names that refer to Jesus.
The name Jesus was called at the time had to do with the circumstance at hand.
Abraham called the Lord Jehovah Jirah because at that time He came as a provider.
He is our peace…
He is our hope…
He is faithful and true…
He is the captain of our salvation…
He is the vine…
He is the Bread of Life…
He is the door…
He is the Lord.
Here in Revelation Jesus is referred to as King of Kings and Lord of Lords meaning absolute sovereignty.
When Jesus comes back He will wear a banner across His robe and down His thigh with a title emblazoned on it that
emphasizes His absolute sovereignty over all human rulers.
This expresses His sovereign triumph over all foes and His absolute rule in His soon to be established kingdom.
Here in this verse Jesus is coming to the earth as Supreme Ruler so He is called the name King of Kings and Lord of
Lords.
Verse 17…Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the birds that fly in
the midst of heaven, come and gather together for the supper of the great God.
Verse 18…That you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and
those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.
Verses 17-21 speak of something like never before in human history.
The battle of Armageddon.
It is not so much a battle as it is an execution.
It is at this time that all the remaining unbelievers are killed by the Lord Jesus Christ.
It will begin by an angel calling birds to come and feed on the corpses of those who will be killed.
Here we see the angel declaring victory before the battle begins.
Put that to your own situation and battle and see how God declares victory before the battle even starts.
God takes His enemies and makes them food for the birds.
All the Lord has to do is speak the Word and the battle is won and His enemies devoured.
Notice it says at the end of the verse the words both small and great.
This means the birds will not know the difference between the great in the world and the small of the world.
In other words God is not impressed with a person’s position in life.
Verse 19…And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against Him
who sat on the horse and against His army.
Verse 20…Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which
he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive
into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Before the battle can begin it is over and the antichrist and the false prophet are dealt a huge hit.
They will both be thrown alive into the lake of fire.
This is the first mention of the lake of fire in the Bible.
This is speaking of hell which is the ultimate destination of satan, his angels, and all the unredeemed.
Hell has always existed but has never been open for business until here.
As of today no one is in hell the false prophet and the antichrist will be the first ones cast into hell
Today when an unbeliever dies their spirit goes to a place called Hades which means unseen world or the realm of the
dead.
But when believers die they do not go to Hades they go immediately into the presence of the Lord.
Absent from the body means present with the Lord.
Hades will one day be emptied of its dead and they will be cast into hell to join satan, the beast and the false prophet.
Hell is the final and permanent place of punishment for all who refuse to submit to Jesus Christ.
The false prophet and the antichrist are the first two to be cast into hell.
We will see in the next chapter that satan will follow 1000 years later and will be joined by all who names are not written
in the Lambs Book of Life.
One thing to understand is there is no such thing as non existence of souls taught in the Bible.
Either a person goes to heaven or hell for eternity when they die.
Fire and brimstone are associated many times with divine judgment.
For all those in the world who refuse God’s grace it means they automatically accept God’s judgment.