Revelation 19:1-21 Part 6
REVELATION 19:1-21 Part 6
1) After these I heard as a great sound of a multitude in the heaven saying “halleluia the salvation and the glory and the power of our God,
2) for His judgments are true and just; for He judged the great harlot that corrupted the earth in her fornication and avenged His servants’ blood at her hand.”
3) Then again they declared “halleluia! Her smoke ascends into the ages of ages.”
4) Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped The God seated over the throne, saying “Amen! Halleluia!”
5) Then there came forth a sound from the throne saying, “all you His servants, the small and the great who are afeared, extol our God!”
6) Then I heard as sound of a multitude and as sound of many waters and as sound of mighty thunders saying “halleluia! Kurios the Almighty God reigns!
7) Rejoicing and celebrating we will give Him the glory, for the wedding feast of the Lamb did come! And His betrothed did ready herself!
8) And it was given to her that she be arrayed in pure, bright linen; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the holy ones.”
9) Then he says to me, “write: ‘blessed the ones called to the wedding feast of the Lamb’”; and says to me, “these true words are from God”.
10) And I fell before his feet to pay homage to him, and he says “see you not do that, for I am the fellow servant of you and your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
11) Then I saw the heaven opened and, lo, a white horse; and seated upon it One called Faithful and True, and He judges and wages war in righteousness,
12) His eyes as flaming fire, many diadems on His head, having a written name that is known by no one but Him.
13) He was clothed about – the raiment blood-spattered, and His Name called The Word of God,
14) the armies in the heaven – clothed in pure white linen - following Him on white horses,
15) a sharp sword proceeding from His mouth, that with it He would smite the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the wrath – the vengeance of Almighty God.
16) And He has a name written on His raiment and on His thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
17) Then I saw one messenger standing in the sun; and it cried out – a great sound – saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven: “Come! Gather to the great feast of God
18) that you may eat the flesh of rulers, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of the strong, the flesh of horses and of those sitting upon them, the flesh of all – both free and slave, small and great.
19) Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to wage war with the One sitting upon the horse and His army;
20) and the beast was seized (and with it the false prophet that did the signs before it by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and paid homage to its image); both were cast alive into the lake of fire, being burned in brimstone;
21) and the remaining ones were killed with the sword of the One sitting upon the horse – that which proceeded from His mouth; and all the birds were gorged from their flesh.
The events shown to John here in chapters eighteen and nineteen are to take place quickly. They are shown to him via God’s prophesied, covenantal perspective – that is, how He sees His will and purpose about to come to pass.
It’s really important that you understand that. The “end of the age” had been prophesied from the beginning; it is “not yet”, but is “about to be”! It’s time! It’s the end of the age… the “purpose” of God long-prophesied. And John watches what is “about to be” in order that the Churches will be comforted and assured when they receive the letter.
The Churches, by this time, had some Gentile converts; but, for the most part, the members were the elect from the tribes of Jacob that Jesus had come to seek and to save! They had the books of the Law and the prophets; and they now had the Gospels and the letters from the apostles. So they were aware of God’s will and purpose. But until they received John’s account of what he saw and heard in God’s tabernacle, they didn’t know for certain that it was imminent!
And the Churches would read (there in chapter eighteen) that Jerusalem and the land had been declared “ready”… ready for the “day of YAHVEH”. As you remember, that declaration was made by Jesus.
Then, since Jerusalem and the land was made ready for the “last day”, the court could convene for judgment. As in a court of law, there were many witnesses to God regarding her guilt, including the blood of all of the “holy ones” through history. They cried out to God that He would avenge them.
Then John writes the “charges” that he heard against Israel. And they are 1) she has corrupted all the nations of the earth by her fornications and 2) she has poured out the blood of God’s holy ones on the land. Then the pronouncement of “guilty of all charges”; and the judgment is rendered. The harlot will die by the sword and burned in fire and brimstone; and the smoke of her burning will be a satisfaction to God into the ages.
Then (here at the beginning of chapter nineteen), having heard the judgment pronounced, the entire host of God’s tabernacle erupts with “halleluias” – praises to YAHVEH for His salvation and His glory and His power!
All of His prophetic Word had said it, you see! And now He has judged in Truth and Righteousness and Justice! And therefore all of His bondservants are to fear Him. All He has said is True! And it is all imminent!
Then (written in verse six of our text), there is a fourth “halleluia”, for Almighty God The Son, Xristos Kurios, has saved His people; and He has now assumed all authority in the heavens and the earth (as prophesied); and He is ready to go forth to His further work of carrying out the judgment that has been pronounced, and of “overcoming” and saving the world! And the prophesied Word regarding Him and His further work is also True and Just and Righteous! He is the One Who is Faithful and True. (As we’ll see in a few minutes, the fact that He is called Faithful and True is critical to this text.)
And John is shown the essence of His further work in verses eleven through sixteen. Beginning this morning, these six verses is what we’ll need to concentrate on for a while… after all, it is our Lord’s dominion over all His creation that is shown to John.
You remember from last Lord’s Day that what John hears is three mighty sounds from the heaven. Heretofore he has heard these sounds one at a time. But now, as our Lord’s further work is praised by the host of the tabernacle, the great “halleluia” that emanates from the host to John’s hearing is all three mighty sounds that were heard previously in the prophetic Word. Verse six of Revelation nineteen is the only place in Scripture where this occurs.
The three-fold sound of the “halleluia”, “Kurios the Almighty God reigns” refers His people to the prophets concerning God’s Anointed One – His King!
John writes, in verse six, that he heard as the sound of a multitude – the very sound that the prophet Daniel first heard; and he heard as the sound as of many rushing waters – the sound first heard by Ezekiel; and he heard as the sound as of great thunderings – the sound recorded in 1 Samuel. And as we read last Lord’s Day, each occurrence of the mighty sounds that were heard and recorded in the three prophets had to do with the coming appearance and work of God’s Anointed King!
So, what we’re led to understand here in John’s carefully written words is that the first three “halleluias” from the host of the heaven are praise to Almighty God the Father, for He has judged in Truth and Justice and Righteousness; then the fourth “halleluia” is the host’s praise to Almighty God the Father for the further prophesied work of Almighty God the Son! For He will carry out the judgment of the Father; and He will go forth to overcome the world! This, too, was all prophesied, you see; and it, also, will be done in Truth and Justice and Righteousness!
And along with His people in the first century, we are strengthened in The Faith. We are comforted – as they were! And we are given assurance in the Truth and Justice and Righteousness of our God. And (as they were) we are given to anticipate the full completion of the work of the Savior of the world.
Then the three verses (seven, eight and nine of our text) are John’s confirmation to all the Churches that the Paschal Lamb of God had provided righteousness to the unrighteous, you see. In order for the daughter of the harlot to be present at the wedding festivities, she had to be clothed upon with righteousness! She had to be declared virginal – the white, linen garments being indicative of the virginity required of one who was betrothed at Sinai! The blood of the Lamb of God covered her sin and satisfied the wrath of God in order that she might be an acceptable bride.
And therein is the analogy of the bride, you see. The one-flesh union of Christ and His people is prophesied right there in the creation narrative! Adam and his wife were of one flesh (as were all who proceeded from them). And in the resurrection, the Christ and those who belong to Him are of one flesh – that of the second Adam. And His righteousness is their righteousness. His righteousness is the white, linen garment of virginity. They are made clean and acceptable to be made one flesh with Him; and the curse of God no longer applies to them; for they are rebirthed into a new heritage… the heritage of God the Son. They no longer belong to the cursed race of Adam. They belong to the race of Christ the Second Adam.
So John hears: “the wedding feast of the Lamb did come! And it was given to her that she be arrayed in pure, bright linen; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the holy ones” (verses seven and eight). “Blessed are the ones called to the wedding feast of the Lamb” (verse nine). “Kurios the Almighty God reigns! Halleluia!
Then John takes special note (verse ten) of the words that he heard; and he writes it just so, in order that the Churches would read it and understand that this messenger that was speaking to John was not of a cursed race; it was not therefore a participant in the resurrection of the Lamb of God; it was not present at the wedding feast of the Lamb; it was not rebirthed into the very family of God the Son…. It was a servant of Kurios the Almighty God like John and his brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus and keep His Commandments; but it did not have the supreme honor of union with Christ – being one IN HIM – being a member of His family!
Those of us who belong to the Christ (holding His testimony – keeping His Commandments) are adoptees into His family and made brothers of His. Although as Gentiles we aren’t of the original elect of the tribes of Jacob; nonetheless we too are draped with the white garments of the righteousness of Christ; we too are rebirthed out of our cursed and depraved heritage in Adam and united to The Christ – Kurios, Almighty God the Son - as brothers of John and the other apostles and brothers of the remnant of Israel; and we too are given faith as a gift and justified before God.
And if you think about it for a minute from God’s Word, you’ll realize that none of the creatures in the heaven are recipients of these sublime blessings!
And while we’re here, I would suspect that an inordinately large portion of all that’s been written and said about the creatures of God in His tabernacle is mythology and mysticism. And the more mysterious it all is, the more fertile the imaginations of people become!
But the point I want to get to is this: although the heavenly creatures shout “halleluias” to the Truth and Justice and Righteousness of Almighty God; and although they are exultant over the further work of Kurios Almighty God the Son, they don’t know what it means to be the brother of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. They don’t know what it means to have been rebirthed out of a cursed and depraved humanity. They don’t know what it is to have been liberated from the prison of darkness and death!
They don’t have the exquisite joy that you and I have in being in union with God the Son after having been dead in sin. They have no concept of being “bought and paid for”. (They are “fellow-servants”; but they’re not bond-servants, you see, having been purchased). Even though they receive benefits from our Lord’s work in overcoming death and the curse, they don’t know what mercy is, for the blood of Jesus Christ wasn’t poured out for them!! They have no idea what it means that the body of Jesus Christ was given for us, and that we anticipate resurrection in Him!
The creatures in God’s tabernacle aren’t ignorant of these things, since they know what the prophetic Word of God says; but they aren’t human! So they must marvel at the love of God for humanity and the cosmos that He created!
Now… that having been said, let’s consider all that John is shown next – starting with verse eleven and then, over the next couple of weeks at least, through sixteen. And please continue to hold this in your mind, that this is the Revelation of that which is “about to take place”; and the host of the tabernacle has just rendered a cosmic “halleluia” for Almighty God the Son Whose further work is about to begin. The time is near.
Let’s read the verses again:
11) Then I saw the heaven opened and, lo, a white horse; and seated upon it One called Faithful and True, and He judges and wages war in righteousness,
12) His eyes as flaming fire, many diadems on His head, having a written name that is known by no one but Him.
13) He was clothed about – the raiment blood-spattered, and His Name called The Word of God,
14) the armies in the heaven – clothed in pure white linen - following Him on white horses,
15) a sharp sword proceeding from His mouth, that with it He would smite the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the wrath – the vengeance of Almighty God.
16) And He has a name written on His raiment and on His thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
John is now shown a view of Kurios Almighty God the Son; and I have some initial comments and observations for you about what he has written. Obviously we’ll go back to the older Scripture, since all of this is prophesied. But my observations have to do with the setting and the structure - how John writes what he’s been shown. He’s very careful with the description… after all, he’s writing to the Churches about our Lord’s Parousia!
And first I want to go back to what we’ve noted a number of times before – that which is written at the beginning of the letter, and that which is written at the end.
Here’s what’s written at the beginning:
“Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him to show His servants that which is necessary to be done in quickness, and He did make it known having sent through His messenger to His servant John,
who did bear witness the Word of God and the witness of Jesus Christ all he saw.
Blessed the one reading and the ones hearing the words of the prophecy and keeping things having been written in it, for the time is near.”
And here is what we find at the end:
20) The One Who testifies to all of this says “yes, I Am coming quickly!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.
Now, the reason that I bring this up again is that it has everything to do with the way John writes what’s found in our text here in chapter nineteen.
The beginning of John’s letter says that all of the things revealed are to happen quickly, for the time is near! And at the end of the letter, Kurios Jesus says yes, He is coming quickly! Yet, in our text (verses eleven through sixteen), John is shown the coming!
This hasn’t happened yet (as the Churches read it); it is about to happen very soon. But John sees it happening! That which is to happen quickly is shown to him! And he will have to write this to the Churches in such a way that they get that!
That’s what I meant when I mentioned the setting and the structure… how the sentences are put together and, especially, the tenses of the verbs. Does John write as if he is observing the Parousia of Jesus Christ? Does he write to the Churches as if he has observed the Parousia? Does he write as if he (and the Churches) will observe the Parousia?
Or does he write (as best the language will allow) the will and purpose of God as He has decreed it - from above His holy tabernacle!
Of course it’s the latter: but these are all important items aren’t they? The care with which John writes these things has everything to do with how the Churches receive them! Then, of course, there’s the problem of translating it arightly into English and then explaining it.
Some have changed the structure of the sentences to facilitate easier reading; and there are others who have even changed the tenses of the verbs to match pre-conceived eschatological notions!
But we have to take care that we observe the proper setting and context. And we have to take note of the structure of the sentences and the tenses of the verbs as John wrote them. He has been shown these things because (as he has been told) he is to prophesy one last time! It’s the end of the age; it’s the appointed time; the Day of YAHVEH is at hand. And the Churches won’t be assured and comforted if they don’t receive the Word of God regarding His will and purpose. “Blessed the one reading and the ones hearing the words of the prophecy and keeping things having been written in it, for the time is near.”
John is shown, by the messenger, that which is necessary to be done in quickness! And the heavens are opened up for John so he can see the will and purpose of God that is about to happen, in order that John can write it for the Lord’s servants in the Churches! And, of course, it’s preserved for us as well; for we are to be comforted and assured along with our brothers who constituted the first Churches in the nations.
And what John sees first is a white horse and One seated on it called Faithful and True (very important as I mentioned earlier); and John begins that description with the word “Lo”.
And we know (from our past seven + years in the Gospel of Matthew) that that little word calls attention to a marvelous prophetic event concerning the Savior of the world.
That event would be the pre-incarnation appearance of our Lord to Daniel during the time that Israel was in captivity in Babylon. What he heard (what Daniel heard) rendered him completely powerless and ill; for he not only was shown Israel’s punishment and captivity under the first great beast of history. But he received prophecy concerning three additional beasts that would defeat and subjugate Israel as punishment for Israel’s ongoing harlotry.
These beasts were described to Daniel as four world-wide kingdoms raised up to cut off the Seed that was promised from the beginning,.
The visions that Daniel was caused to see included all the terrible things that Israel would suffer under the heavy hand of pagan nations; and it all caused him to grieve mightily.
But Daniel was also shown a fifth Kingdom that would be raised up in the midst of the fourth one; and that fourth beast (the most ferocious of the four) would then be shattered and splintered by the fifth Kingdom… a Kingdom that would last forever and never be destroyed.
Daniel’s desire for more information about Israel’s ultimate demise and the rise of that fifth Kingdom was answered in the negative; for it was a great mystery only for the end of the age. And Daniel was given a scroll with seven seals. And in that scroll was the Revelation of the mystery of God. And the seals weren’t to be opened until the last days.
Fast forward now to Revelation chapter six:
1) And I watched when the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals; and I heard one of the four creatures speaking as thunderous sound: “COME”!
2) And, Lo! A white horse. And the One sitting upon it holding a bow, a crown having been given to Him. And He did come out overcoming and that He may overcome.
The Lamb of God Who was sacrificed to God for the sin of the world, having faithfully completed the work that the Father had given Him to do, opens the first seal of the scroll shown to Daniel. And the very first thing that John is shown from the scroll is One holding the covenantal “bow”, wearing the crown of the King of Kings, and going forth on a white horse “overcoming” – and that He may “overcome” sin and the curse upon this creation.
It is obviously the first Revelation of the mystery of God sealed to Daniel until the end of the age. It’s also obvious that this is the Revelation of the fifth Kingdom shown to Daniel.
The “horses” come from the prophecy that God gave to Zechariah in which the horses and their riders were waiting for the will and purpose of God to be given to them in the last days. The “white horse” is the sign of overcoming and dominion.
So, in our text here in chapter nineteen, the judgment upon the harlot nation having been pronounced (to great “halleluias” from the host of the tabernacle), there is another mighty “halleluia” as the three mighty sounds of the prophetic Word are heard by John at the Revelation of the Christ of God. Lo! A while horse…!
What was revealed to Daniel and sealed until the end, and then seen by John when the first seal of the scroll was opened, is now fully revealed; for it’s the last day, and the time is near.
The lost sheep of the house of Jacob – the remnant promised by YAHVEH – have been saved from the wrath to come; the harlot has been judged and will be destroyed by the sword and burned in fire and brimstone; and the further work of Kurios Almighty God the Son commences in the nations and peoples and tribes and tongues of the world.
As we go on now, the text says (verse eleven), “the One seated on the white horse, called Faithful and True….”
Several years ago, Flo and I went to Asia Minor… the area in which existed the seven Churches to which John’s letter was originally sent. I so wanted to go to all seven of the cities in which John’s Churches had been established; but we only had enough time to visit two: Ephesus and Smyrna.
But remember that in the Revelation to John, Jesus sent specific messages to the seven Churches; and the seven messages addressed issues having to do with Israel and judaism. The Churches that had dealt with those issues were praised; and the ones that had not were threatened and called to repentance; for the Day of YAHVEH was near.
One of those Churches had been established in the city of Laodicea. Jesus’ message to that Church was threatening. He said in that message that He would knock on the door of that Church, and if it would repent He would come in and “sup” with them; but if not, He would “visit” them in the Day of YAHVEH. (It is implied here that a “visit” would not be pleasant.)
The judaist issue in that Church was exactly the same as that which brought the wrath of God upon Jerusalem and the land of Israel; and the history behind it is quite “telling”.
Very briefly… the seventy year captivity in Babylon left a number of Jews willing to stay there. They had become settled and comfortable under Persian rule. And when “freed” to return to the land, they just stayed there.
But when the nations of the world came under the rulership of the third beast of history, things changed. Antiochus the First, the king of the Greek world, moved people around at will – for his own purposes. And there was a very important city on the trade route between Europe and Asia. It was prosperous and wealthy; but it needed laborers in large numbers. So Antiochus had two thousand men of that remaining Jewish community in Persia rounded up and relocated to that city. It was Laodicea.
When the Church was established there two hundred and fifty years later by attendees at Pentecost, that Jewish community had become very large and very wealthy. It was also very “judaist”… partaking of all the wealth and harlotry and idolatry for which Israel was originally taken into captivity, and for which she would be judged in the “last day”. Apparently, some of these judaists were members of Christ’s Church.
So, when Jesus sent the message to the Church in Laodicea (via John, as recorded in chapter three of The Revelation) the Church had not dealt with its judaist members who were still acting like the harlot Jerusalem!
Here is that message:
14) And write the message to the Church in Laodicea. The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation, says these things:
15) I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot!
16) So, since you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of My mouth.
17) Because you say ‘I am rich and wealthy and have want for nothing’; and you don’t know that you are the afflicted, and pitiable and lowly and blind and naked,
18) I counsel you to acquire gold having been refined by fire from Me in order that you might be rich, and white garments in order that you might clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness might not be disclosed, and collyrium to rub in your eyes that you might see.
19) I, I put to the proof and teach all of those who I love. Be alive, therefore, and repent!
20) Lo! I stand at the door and knock. Should someone hear My sound and open the door, I will go in to him and I will sup with him and he with Me.
21) I will give to him who overcomes to sit with Me in My seat as I overcame and did sit with My Father in His seat.
In our text here in chapter nineteen: the Amen; the Faithful and True Witness (the words that we find here in verse eleven). Kurios the Almighty God reigns! And the wedding feast of the Lamb did come! And seated upon the white horse One called Faithful and True (the exact words Jesus spoke in His message to the Church in Laodicea.)
He is Faithful and True; He IS the One from the beginning: and He will go forth to overcome; and He will judge and wage war in righteousness. The Church at Laodicea will be spewed out of His Mouth should it not repent; for those who supped with Him at the wedding feast of the Lamb are those who have put on the white robes of righteous virginity.
The Faithful and True One will knock on the door of this Church; but He won’t go in to sup with them should they not repent and deal with the judaists who are still connected with Jerusalem by their harlotry. They were wealthy, self-sufficient, and self-defined (just like the harlot Jerusalem). So, when he executes the judgment which His Father has now pronounced, Jesus will also “visit” this Church in Laodicea. They can’t cling to Jerusalem and the land of Israel and be members of the body of Christ at the same time!
Now. Some final words here, and we’ll continue with verse eleven, and beyond, next time as we work our way through verse sixteen….
Jerusalem, in all of its brightness and glory and wealth (all of it given by God as a reflection of His glory) considered itself the eternal city – blessed forever, no matter what it did. And what it did was enchant and entice the nations with its great wealth and beauty – corrupting the peoples of the world with its fornication.
The priests and elders and scribes and pharisees of Israel considered all of this Israel’s “due” as the people of God. Jerusalem had determined for herself what she was and what she should be! She had defined herself – for herself! And when God sent His prophets to call her to repentance, the blood of His prophets was poured out on the land. And then the judaists pursued and persecuted those who Jesus came to seek and to save – the remnant of Jacob.
And it was judaists that corrupted the Churches in the nations (or tried to). Every letter from the apostles dealt with them to one degree or another. And Jesus’ messages to the Churches at the beginning of The Revelation all have to do with them. Their sins against YAHVEH were all the sins of a cursed and depraved world order. But she was worse than all the pagan nations of the earth, because she was betrothed to YAHVEH at Sinai.
But as we’ve seen here in verse eleven of our text, which matches exactly the message to the Church at Laodicea, Jesus Christ is the Faithful and True Witness at Whose parousia all Israel was to be judged. And He would not abide the leaven of judaism, in any form, in His church.
We’ll start right there next time.