Book of Revelation Commentary
Tom Lowe
8/23/17
Lesson: IV.D.1: Christ the Victorious Warrior and King of Kings
(Revelation 19:11-16)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.
Introduction
John’s vision shifts again. These verses introduce that great event (the apocalypse of Jesus Christ) anticipated for centuries and about which the Old Testament prophets wrote. It is the golden age on earth when all creation shall be subject to its Creator and Redeemer. But before He reigns He must subdue every enemy and opposing force. The conflict of Armageddon is about to occur. Up to this point Christ has been directing earth’s judgments from His throne in Heaven, but now He leaves heaven and descends to earth for the purpose of completing the work of judgment before He establishes His millennial Kingdom.
Heaven opens and Jesus appears, this time not as a Lamb, but as a warrior on a white horse (symbolizing victory). Jesus came first as a Lamb to be a sacrifice for sin, but He will return as a Conqueror and King to execute judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10{1]). The name of the rider was “Faithful and True.” No one but the Lord Jesus Christ could bear that title. He was faithful to the Father in every minute detail and He is the Truth.
His first coming brought forgiveness, his second will bring judgment. He is coming to settle the destinies of the world and its inhabitants. The battle lines have now been drawn between God and evil, and the world is waiting for the King to ride onto the field.
It is a war to put down evil and enthrone righteousness on earth, in order that there may be peace on earth, goodwill toward man, and the knowledge of the Lord cover the earth as the waters now cover the sea. Jesus is about to prepare the earth for the reign of righteousness promised—but up to this point never fulfilled. The night Jesus was born the angels announced the birth of a King, and added, “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” That has never been, but IT WILL BE when King Jesus puts down the armies of Antichrist, sits on the throne of His father David, and reins in righteousness.
Commentary
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
This is not His coming in the air to receive His church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), for that coming took place at the beginning of the book. This is His coming to the earth with His church (This is His Second Coming—the moment God’s people had been waiting for.) to deal with His foes by force of arms and to impose upon mankind an era of peace. We should note what we are told about His nature. John says “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” This is the great unveiling! Christ’s return will be unmistakable; heaven will be standing open! The Lord Jesus is coming to earth again; not with HIS glory veiled as when He came the first time, but in pomp and power, in marital splendor, with HIS banners of war unfurled.
Christ said, “And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14: 62).
Christ said, “….But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Luke 24:30).
An angel told the disciples, “Men of Galilee….why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11).
Paul wrote, “….This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).
He is “faithful and true.” We have become familiar enough with the propaganda techniques of the great aggressors, with the way they attempt to undermine their foes by distorting, dramatizing, and evading the truth. At last there comes a King who is faithful (absolutely to be trusted) and true{3], for that is His very nature. It is impossible for Him to be anything else. No attempts are made by Him to persuade the world that He is King. Now it is evident to all.
Moreover, “in righteousness He judges and makes war.” Every nation which takes up arms against its neighbors seizes on some alleged reason to convince its people and the world that it has a righteous cause. Hitler claimed that his aggressions were just and a righteous redress of the grievances of Versailles. The western world claimed that its cause was just, for they were fighting one of the most frightful dictatorships the world had ever known. And so it goes. But now here is One who truly claims that in righteousness He judges and makes war.
The Lord is a man of war! In righteousness He judges and makes war. The judging has been going on throughout the breaking of the seals, the blowing of the trumpets, and the pouring out of the bowls. Now He makes war. He, who for long centuries has endured patiently the scoffings, the insults, the bad manners of men; who for ages has contemplated Calvary and all that it displayed of human hatred and contempt; and who, through the millenia has made peace through the blood of that cross, now makes war over that blood. For human SIN has reached the high water mark and must be put down by force of arms. But there will not be much fighting when the battle is joined; it will all be over in a flash.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
John says, “His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” His blazing eyes denote judgment and omnipotence—nothing shall escape the all-seeing eye of the One who sits on the white charger. The white horse is the symbol of the conqueror, because it was on a white horse that a Roman general rode when he celebrated a victory.
The Lord is crowned with many crowns (Greek; diadems) which indicate His position as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and implies that all possible privileges are His. Should you go back to 12:3 you would find that the dragon has seven diadems on his head…. the same Greek word is used here. In Revelation 13:1 the Beast has on his horns ten diadems. Thus, the Beast and the dragon will experience great and supreme power during their reign; but note that there is only One who can be trusted to exercise absolute authority and dominion. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. (Read Psalm 8.) The dragon wore seven diadems. The beast wore ten diadems. But “ON HIS (Christ’s) HEAD WERE MANY DIADEMS!” This signifies that He is supreme over all governments, and in the end all authority and power will crumble under His mighty hand.
To be crowned with more than one crown may seem strange, but in the time of John it was quite natural. It was not uncommon for a monarch to wear more than one crown in order to show that he was the king of more than one country. For instance, when Ptolemy entered Antioch he wore two crowns or diadems—one to show that he was lord of Asia and one to show that he was lord of Egypt. On the head of the victor Christ there are many crowns to show that He is Lord of all the kingdoms of the earth.
His name is shrouded in mystery. His human name of Jesus has been used as a curse word by godless men. They have scorned the name by which He has revealed to men the gracious heart of God. Now He bears the name of mystery, and they cannot know Him even if they wanted to, for He’s the only One who knows that name, yet His names are given in verses 11, 13, and 16. It may be that the name is one which can be revealed only at the final union of Christ and the Church. There is an old saying: “Thou canst not bear his name until thou shall have ascended out of the body.” This comes from a Jewish belief that no man could know the name of God until he had entered into the life of heaven. There were always mysteries connected with God’s Son, even when He was here as the revealer of God. “What manner of man is this?” cried His most intimate friends. How much more awesome must be the terrible mysteries which surround Him when He reappears with a name that none can know!
Although Jesus is called the “Faithful and True” (11), the “Word of God” (13), and the “King of Kings and Lord of Lord” (16), this verse implies that no name can do Him justice. He is greater than any description or expression the human mind can devise for Him. Christ alone can understand the fullness of who and what He was in the eternity behind us, of what He is in the present, and of what He will be throughout the eternity ahead of us. The finite mind of man cannot comprehend the fullness of the eternal Godhead.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
It is difficult to imagine how blood could whiten any cloth, but the blood of Jesus Christ is the world’s greatest purifier because it removes the stain of sin. White (14) symbolizes sinless perfection or holiness, which can be given to people only by the sacrifice and shed blood of the sinless Lamb of God. This is a picture of how we are saved by faith (see Isaiah 1:18, Romans 3:21-26). His blood-dipped robe is attributed to God by the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 63:1-6{4]). First-century rabbis claimed God would wear this kind of robe on the day of His vengeance on Rome.
In Isaiah 63:1-4{4] we read concerning the victorious return from the land of Edom, from the capital city Bozrah. With vengeance in His heart, and His righteous garments stained with the blood of His enemies, the Lord is seen in this battle; but here in Revelation, His garment dipped in blood is witnessed even before He enters into the great conflict. This is a certain guarantee that righteous vengeance shall be meted out to the fullest extent upon the millions gathered against the Lamb of God, led by the Beast and the false prophet. There is no doubt concerning the victor of this battle. The lamb came the first time in humility, riding upon an ass; but He will come the second time riding a great white charger, to drain the blood of His enemies. He must reign until all enemies have become His footstool—and He will! This does not sound like the “grandfather-God” the liberals and moderates love to preach about, does it? O, yes, God is love, God is longsuffering, tender, good and kind; but God is also a consuming fire, He is angry with the wicked every day.
The very nature of God demands the judgment of those on earth who attempt to frustrate His purpose to place His Son as King on Mount Zion, and to place into His hands the government of earth. In Isaiah 9:6-7{5] God promised a King upon whose shoulders the government would rest. In Luke 1 Jesus was promised the throne of David, and he must occupy that throne. When the armies of Antichrist attempt to stop the King of kings, Jehovah God goes into action as “THE WORD OF GOD.” Christ, the Word of God, is the absolute and final expression of God in righteous judgment about to take place just before the beginning of the Millennium, the one thousand years of perfect peace on earth. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6; also see Isaiah 11).
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
His garment is dyed red with blood, and the armies of heaven{3] follow Him, their robes unstained by the conflict. “Behold,” cried Enoch in the far-off dawn of time, “Behold, the Lord, with ten thousands of His saints, To execute judgment” (Jude 14-15). The armies of heaven{3], on milk-white steeds, follow in His train. These armies are real enough. They are not mere symbols; they are real! Christ is the Lord of Hosts, Jehovah-Sabaoth and the armies of Heaven are as real as the Lord Himself. Elijah caught a glimpse of such armies once. What a sign it will be for wicked men, marshaled by the million in bitter discord at Armageddon, yet determined too, to unite against a common foe! What a sign it will be for them, swayed again by the gifted oratory of the beast, the false prophet, and the dragon, into believing that they can settle accounts with heaven once and for all! What a sight it will be for them to look up, as the skies are torn apart with a roar, and see that Holy One ride forth, followed by rank after endless rank of the redeemed and by heaven’s angelic host; all are dressed in white and riding white horses. Where now are the beast’s boasted powers?
The heavenly attire of those saints that make up the Bride of Christ is described here as “fine linen, white and clean.” It is clear that the Bride will accompany Christ when He returns to the earth. We have here the fulfillment of the prophecy of Enoch: In Jude 14 and 15 we read “…. Behold, the Lord, cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” What a sight! What a sight!! What a tremendous sight!!!
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
The Lord Jesus now has a ministry far different from that which was His when He came as the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth. His ministry now is one of battle and blood. He is heaven’s minister, but heaven’s minister for war; and His name is called the “Word of God.” The sword issuing from His mouth is God’s word; his true weapon, rather than His armies (1:16). The word for “sword” used here, however, is not the small two-edged sword but a mighty sword that is four or five feet long. This was the sword used by cavalry soldiers. Christ’s words of judgment are as sharp as swords. With that sword, he struck down the nations. Isaiah had prophesied of Christ, “He will rule against the wicked and destroyed them with the breath of his mouth” (Isaiah 11:4).
The only weapon the heavenly host has is this “sharp sword.” The armies have no weapons, but they will need no weapons. Please, let me show you why I say that. Go back a few years when Judas led the soldiers to arrest Jesus. Jesus simply spoke—and His enemies fell to the ground (John 18:5, 6{6]). This would be strange equipment to the average warrior, but our commander-in-Chief has never resorted to carnal weapons. And please notice that He is the only One who engages in the conflict. It is He who smites the nations. The armies merely view the battle. Most battles are fought by the armies while the generals direct from a vantage point. But this general is unique, and He has never lost a battle. Having been given full authority in Heaven and on earth, He is seen here coming to exercise that authority.
The Word of God smites, slays, destroys. The power of the word is irresistible. God needs no hydrogen warheads, guided missiles, atomic submarines nor supersonic bombers! All God needs to do is utter the Word and creatures disintegrate. God needs no weapon made with hands. THE BATTLE IS THE LORDS!
The Word brings life to all who believe; the same Word metes out death to all who refused to hear it. No wonder the devil has attempted to destroy the Word of God and discredit our Bible! Beware of the man who twist the Word to fit his religion.
In Genesis 1 He only had to speak, and flaming suns sprang into being, and life in a myriad forms arose vibrant from the dust. This last battle will be won by a WORD! He will speak, that’s all, and His foes will be smitten where they stand.
The iron rod (scepter) of his rule depicts His absolute authority (12:5{7]), and denotes that the ungodly, determined will of the nations must be broken and their power put down. Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, is the only One who can do that.
Finally, the winepress of God’s wrath is an image of judgment also used in chapter 14?“And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs” (14:19-20). The fact that He (the Lamb, the humble One who has now become King of Kings, the Mighty One) treads the winepress of His fury and “the winepress of the wrath of God” denotes His utmost wrath. Almighty God is moved to fury. “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.” We see three symbols of judgment in verse 15. FIRST, a sharp sword. SECOND, a rod of iron. THIRD, the winepress of the wrath of almighty God. “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment” (Isaiah 63:3). Christ is pictured as treading the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God. The winepress image appeared in 14:19-20 (see above); it describes God’s great wrath against those who had rejected Him here, God’s fierce anger is directed at all of SIN personified. At this point, God will totally destroy sin and evil. A winepress is a large vat where grapes are collected and then crushed. It is often used in the Bible to symbolize judgment (Isaiah 63:3-6; Lamentations 1:15; Joel 3:12-13).
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.
This title indicates our God’s sovereignty and majesty. Most of the world is worshipping the Antichrist, who they believe has all power and authority. Then suddenly out of heaven rides Christ and His army of angels—the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” His entrance signals the end of the false powers.
Pilate’s contemptuous title: “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” came close to the mark, but this new title has a wider reach than that. He is not merely the King of the Jews; He is KING OF THE WORLD. The “times of the Gentiles” come to a screeching halt with His appearing. The thigh, on which this title is emphasized, symbolizes power. Jacob wrestled with the angel until his thigh was out of joint and his power of resistance was broken. The Messiah’s sword is seen upon His thigh?“Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty” (Psalms 45:3). The thigh is associated with His power, the vesture with His position. Joseph’s brothers took his vesture, his coat of many colors that proclaimed his position as head of the family, dipped it in blood and flung it at their father’s feet. The Lord is now, in actual fact, arrayed in a vesture dipped in blood, the blood of His foes, and embroidered thereon is the title by which He will be known on earth for a thousand years.
Scriptures and Special Notes
[1} “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”(2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)
[2} “The armies of heaven,” referring to all believers who have been taken to heaven (in the Rapture, which will have occurred at some point prior to this although believers are divided as to when this will happen). Here the believers will be returning to earth with Christ as part of his vast army. They will be wearing fine linen, white and pure, as noted also in 19:8. Some suggest that this army will be angels because Christ had spoken of returning with His angels (Matthew 24:30-31). Most likely, however, this army will be believers because 17:14 says, “They [the Beast and the false prophet] will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them…. And with Him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” The believers will come with Christ on white horses. They will not come to fight, however, for there will not need to be a battle. Christ will conquer with his potent word (15).
[3} The word “true” has two meanings. It means true in the sense that Jesus Christ is the One who brings the truth and who never at any time has any falsehood in anything that He says. It also means genuine, as opposed to that which is unreal. In Jesus Christ we meet reality.
[4} “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.” (Isaiah 63:1-6)
[5} “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
[6} “They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” (John 18:5-6)
[7} “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” (Revelation 12:5)
