"the King Has Come"

“The Return of the King”

Revelation 19:11-20:3

“11And 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. 12His 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. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And 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. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

The rider on the white horse of Rev. 6:2 is the false Christ, but this Rider is the true Christ.

He is not coming in the air to take His people home (1 Thes. 4:13-18), but to the earth with His people, to conquer His enemies and establish His kingdom.

Note the emphasis on Jesus’ names (Rev. 19:11-13, 16).

He is “Faithful and True” (see Rev. 3:14), in contrast to “the beast” who was unfaithful (he broke the covenant with Israel) and false (he ruled by means of deception and idolatry).

Suffering saints need to be reminded that God is faithful and will not desert them, because His promises are true.

Perhaps the “secret name” (see Rev. 19:12) is the same as the “new name” (Rev. 3:12). To the Church at Philadelphia He wrote, “12Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

Not knowing what this name is, we cannot comment on it; but it is exciting to know that, even in heaven, we shall learn new things about our Lord Jesus!

Whatever the name I am sure that it will reveal even more of His character like His other names.

Verse 13 reveals one of the many names of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ; He is called, “The Word of God”. This one of the familiar names of our Lord in Scripture (John 1:1-14).

Just as we reveal our minds and hearts to others by our words, so the Father reveals Himself to us through His Son, the incarnate Word (Rev. 14:7-11).

A word is made up of letters, and Jesus Christ is “Alpha and Omega” (Rev. 21:6; 22:13).

He is the “divine alphabet” of God’s revelation to us.

The Word of God is “living and powerful” (Heb. 4:12); what’s more, it fulfills His purposes on earth (Rev. 17:17; note also Rev. 6:11; 10:7; 15:1).

Jehovah Himself says, “I am watching to see that My Word is afulfilled” (Jer. 1:12, niv).

Just as the Word was the Father’s Agent in Creation (John 1:1-3), so the Word is His Agent for judgment and consummation.

Christ’s most important name is “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16).

This is His victorious name (Rev. 17:14), and it brings to mind references such as Daniel 2:47 and Deuteronomy 10:17.

“47The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.”

“17For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:”

Paul used this same title for our Lord Jesus Christ in 1 Timothy 6:15.

“15Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;”

The title speaks of Christ’s sovereignty, for all kings and lords must submit to Him.

No matter who was on the throne of the Roman Empire, Jesus Christ was his King and Lord!

The greatness of Christ is seen not only in His names, but also in John’s description of the conquering King (Rev. 19:12-16).

The eyes “as a flame of fire” symbolize His searching judgment that sees all (Rev. 1:14).

The many crowns (diadems) indicate His magnificent rule and sovereignty.

The vesture dipped in blood speaks of judgment and probably relates to Isaiah 63:1-6 and Revelation 14:20, the conquest of His enemies.