02.56. LECTURE No. 56 -- Rev_19:13-21
LECTURE No. 56 -- Revelation 19:13-21
The Revelation of Jesus Christ Is the important Theme of Revelation the Nineteenth Chapter and Verses Eleven to Sixteen - Few People Realize That Jesus Is to Be a Mighty Warrior Who Will Subdue All His Enemies - A Day of Vengeance Is in Christ’s Heart - When Jesus Comes He Will Not Be Alone - Jesus Will Execute the Judgment Written - Christ Will Yet Become King of Kings and Lord of Lords - The Battle of Armageddon to Be a Supernatural Conflict Between the Armies of Heaven and the Armies of the Earth - Where the Battle Will Be Fought - Why the Battle of Armageddon Will Be Fought - The Coming Harvest of Sin and Iniquity - The Battle of Armageddon and Its Results - The Antichrist and the False Prophet Will Suffer the Same Doom in the Lake of Fire
WE have progressed in our present study to Revelation 19:1-21. Our last lesson was based upon Revelation 19:11-16, but in our discussion we only considered verses Revelation 19:11-12. Therefore, we shall reread this entire passage again, in order to review what we have stated and to get our lesson clearly before us. The Second Coming of Christ The theme of this passage is, the second coming of Christ and in verses Revelation 19:11-16, the Apostle John said,
“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. 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. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 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. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” A New Conception of Christ No one can doubt but what, in these words, we have a wonderful prophetic word picture of the second coming of Christ in His Revelation. He is here pictured as a mighty warrior, who in righteousness shall judge and make war.
We repeat again that it is difficult for us to understand such a passage as this, for it is so much in contrast to what we are accustomed to thinking about Christ, Who, when He came in His first advent was meek and lowly in heart, and who, in order to usher in the dispensation of grace gave himself in sacrifice upon the cross. At that time, for the joy that was set before Him, He submitted Himself to His enemies and endured the cross, despising the shame but when He comes again, his enemies will submit themselves to Him, as One in supreme authority, for it shall be even so, as it is written.
Jesus Was a Man in Authority In our effort to understand these thing’s which are written here about Christ, we should remember that on one occasion, Jesus, when He came into His Father’s house and found there, those who were making it a place of merchandise and a den of thieves, He took a whip of small cords and deliberately drove them out of the temple.
Thus, my friends, we see that when the right time comes, He Who is the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of the world will be well able to act with all authority and to judge and make war in righteousness.
We do not wonder, therefore, that in Revelation 19:13 of our lesson text, John said, “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”
“The Word of God” Was a Proper Name for Christ
First of all, we wish to remind you when it says “His name is called The Word of God,” this was a proper name which belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and which in this instance does not have any reference to the Bible as the written Word of God.
We know that Jesus was called the Word of God, for in John 1:1-2, it says,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.”
Thus, my friends, we see that it was just and right for Jesus to be called the “Word of God” as a proper name.
He Will Stain His Raiment with Blood It says of Him, who is called The Word of God, that He “was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood.”
This is an interesting, and also a very important statement.
Naturally, our minds go back to the events of the Passion Week when Jesus suffered the reproach of His enemies until His own raiment was no doubt spotted and streaked with blood.
And then we think of the blood-stained cross upon which He died, at which time He shed His own blood to make an atonement for your sins and mine and for those of the whole world. That is a matter of history, but the words we are now studying are a prophecy of the future concerning an event which will take place at the second coming of Christ, when He shall come to execute judgment by making war against His enemies. The Day of Vengeance In Isaiah 63:1-6 there is a very interesting passage which is closely related to our subject.
In speaking of the day of vengeance, Isaiah the Prophet said,
“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 1 will bring down their strength to the earth.”
There is no question but what these words are a description of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ coming to battle against His enemies, which is indeed a very strong confirmation of the words of our lesson text in Revelation 19:13. When Jesus Comes Others Will Be with Him In this regard, it is interesting to note that in Revelation 19:14-15, John said,
“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 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.”
Thus, we see that when Jesus comes He will not be alone.
An Historical Example
We are not told anything about these armies which were in heaven, but we must remember that Elisha and Elijah both saw horses of fire round about them in the heavens at the time when they were prophets in Israel. Therefore, when God’s Word plainly makes a statement to this effect, we cannot help but believe that there are armies in heaven which will accompany the Lord Jesus Christ at the time of His second advent, when He comes to fight the battle of Armageddon. The Prophecy of Enoch In Jude 1:14-15, the Apostle said,
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, 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 deed which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Therefore, when Jesus comes, followed by the armies of heaven, is it any wonder that in Isaiah 2:10-12, the Prophet cried saying,
“Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.”
Jesus Will Smite the Earth in Judgment
Let us notice again that in Revelation 19:15 of our lesson text, speaking of Christ, John said,
“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.”
No doubt the language used here is somewhat symbolic but its meaning is very apparent. When he says that “out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations,” the meaning, no doubt, is that as Captain of the Lord’s hosts, He will speak with all authority and power, and that by His Word, which will be supported by the armies of heaven, He will smite and subdue the nations and rule them with a rod of iron. The Sins of the Nations Will Demand Judgment
Certainly, my friends, we cannot doubt that by that time the nations of the earth will need to be smitten because of their sin and their wickedness and their unbelief.
Think of Russia today and of what she has done to the cause of Christ in that great land, and of her continued wickedness and unbelief and blasphemy against God and her persecution of the children of God in every place.
Think of Germany today and of her war against God, which included her persecution of Jews and Christians alike. Think of what happened in Spain, where the horrors of war recently were against the cause of Christ. The Present Rebellion of the Nations When we think of these condition which exist throughout the world today we are reminded of what is stated in Psalms 2:1-3, where it says,
“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.”
Certainly, my friends, we see that this spirit has already taken hold of some of the nations of the earth and have reason to believe that it will not be many years until this spirit of rebellion will sweep over the nations of the whole earth. When it does, it will be time for God to send the Lord Jesus Christ with the armies of heaven to smite the nations and to rule them with a rod of iron and to tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
God Will Speak in Wrath
That, my friends, is exactly what will do! This is confirmed also in Psalms 2:4-6 and where it says,
“He that sitteth in heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Thou shalt break them with a rod iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Christ to Be a Mighty King
We do not wonder, therefore, that when John was given this word picture of the second coming of Christ to smite the nations and to rule them with a rd of iron and to tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, that he said of Christ, “He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Now let us read what is written in Revelation 19:17-21, where John said,
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
“That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.
“These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” The Battle of Armageddon to be a Supernatural Conflict From this reading we are able to see at once that the battle of Armageddon will not be a conflict between the armies of earth fighting against each other, but it will be a supernatural conflict between the armies of heaven under the leadership of the true Christ and the combined armies of the earth under the leadership of the coming Antichrist.
This great battle, which will occur at the very close of the tribulation period, has received its name from what is stated in Revelation 16:13-16, where it says,
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”
It is interesting to know that the word “Armageddon” means “Mount of Slaughter.”
The words of the passage just quoted reveal the manner in which the battle will be brought about. In order to gather the armies of the earth to the battle of that great day of God Almighty, the spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and will cause them to believe that by combining their armies together they will be able to defeat Christ and the armies of heaven.
These evil spirits going forth to the earth will cause all of them to assume the attitude suggested in Psalms 2:2-3, where it says,
“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”
Therefore, united in a spirit of defiance and rebellion, they will gather their armies together for this last great conflict of the tribulation period. Where the Battle of Armageddon Will Be Fought The place of the battle is also of interest and importance. We are told that Armageddon is the ancient hill and valley of Megiddo, which is west of the River Jordan including the plain of Jezreel, and it is there that the battle is expected to take place. The Cause of the Battle Now let us think together for a few moments concerning the cause or reason for this great battle.
Let us remember that we are now studying concerning the last events of the tribulation period. By this time ecclesiastical Babylon will have been destroyed by the ten kings, which shall rise during the tribulation period. Commercial Babylon will also have been destroyed by the judgments of God, as described in chapter 18 of the Revelation, but it will still remain for political Babylon to be destroyed. The head of political Babylon, of course, will be none other than the coming Antichrist. Since the Antichrist by that time will have become the great world dictator, and will have subdued his enemies.
Unless Jesus Christ should come and destroy the Antichrist, evil would remain upon the throne of world dominion, but God has promised that the kingdoms of this world, over which the Antichrist will reign for a short period of time, will become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. The battle of Armageddon, therefore, will be a necessity in order that the Word of God may be fulfilled and the purposes of God accomplished.
Vengeance
Another reason why Jesus will come with the armies of heaven to the battle of Armageddon will be to take vengeance upon them that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is confirmed in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, where it says,
“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 in that day.” The Jews Will Need Deliverance
Jesus will come to the battle of Armageddon for still another reason, and that will be in order to deliver His chosen people, Israel, from the tyranny and deceit and oppression of the Antichrist.
By that time Antichrist will have succeeded in subduing the Gentiles and of bringing them into submission to his will, but he will not have succeeded in destroying all of the chosen people of God.
We know from other scriptures that during the tribulation period, the Jewish people will be driven out of Jerusalem into the wilderness where they will receive special help and protection from the Lord.
Since, by that time Antichrist will have deified himself, thus demanding the homage and worship of all men, he will hate, with a undying hatred, which will have no bounds, this remnant of the Jewish people, who will still insist upon worshipping the God of Israel instead of the Antichrist.
The purpose of the Antichrist, therefore, will be to destroy and to make away with the remnant of God’s chosen people, who will be living at that time. Therefore, unless Jesus should come with the armies of heave to deliver them, they would utterly perish under the cruel tyranny of this coming superman of sin. Among the purposes, therefore, for which Jesus will come to the battle of Armageddon will be to deliver the remnant of His people from utter destruction.
The only way that political Babylon can be brought to an end will be for Jesus to come in person with the armies of heaven and destroy the Antichrist and those who follow him. That is exactly what He will do, as prophesied in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, where it says,
“And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked [or wicked one], be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
Earth’s Harvest of Sin to Be Gathered
We do not wonder, therefore, that in Revelation 14:18-20, it says,
“And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 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.”
Understanding these things, we do not wonder that in Revelation 19:17-18, which is a portion of our lesson text, the angel standing in the sun cried “with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.”
Preparation for the Battle
After this rather unusual invitation had gone forth, in Revelation 19:19 the Apostle said,
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.”
Indeed, my friends, these are very suggestive words, and while the writer has suggested to us the facts in the case, for some reason he did not give to us a word picture of the battle itself. It may be that in mercy to us, God forbade him to describe the awful carnage which will take place at that time. The Result of the Battle The divine record, therefore, passes over the event itself and gives to us in Revelation 19:20-21 merely the results of that awful conflict. It says,
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
This, my friends, will be the moment for which the world has long waited.
The beast which is referred to here, we understand, of course, will be the Antichrist, the man of sin, the son of perdition, to whom Satan will have given his full seat of power and authority, as confirmed in Revelation 13:2-4.
From our previous studies we have learned that all sin will head up in this man of sin. Therefore, before peace can come to a troubled world, this man of sin must be destroyed and put out of the way, and that, my friends, is exactly what will happen. The False Prophet to Suffer the Same Doom Not only will the Antichrist be taken, but the false prophet which wrought miracles before him, will also be taken.
The false prophet, you will remember was mentioned in Revelation 13:11-14, where John said,
“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword and did live.”
It is interesting to note, therefore, that the false prophet, who will be an arch-deceiver will be taken with the Antichrist and cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
There Is a Lake of Fire!
I know a lot of people do not like to believe that there is any such thing as a lake of fire, used as a place of punishment for the wicked, but when you stop to think about the Antichrist and the false prophet, who will be totally filled with sin and utterly rebellious against the Lord, where else could God send them, except to some such place?
We should rejoice, it seems to me in knowing that God has such a place of punishment and confinement for those who are utterly godless, and who have rejected both the grace and the mercy of God and who have refused to be corrected by the ordinary judgments of God.
The penitentiaries of the world; whether we like them or not, are a blessing in disguise to society at large.
If God has a penitentiary which He calls the lake of firs for such criminals as the Antichrist and the false prophet, then I say; a great big “AMEN” and God speed the day when they shall be taken alive and cast into the place where they belong!
When this shall have been accomplished, in Revelation 19:21 of our lesson text it says,
“And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
Jesus Will Triumph
We do not need to wonder at this for we know that Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the devil and the Word of God plainly teaches His ultimate triumph over all of His enemies.
In Psalms 45:2-5, speaking prophetically of the Christ, it says,
“Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are, sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.”
Again in Habakkuk 3:12-13, it says,
“Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.”
Again in Psalms 2:8-9, God spoke prophetically to the Messiah saying,
“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” A Word of Advice to Kings In view of all of these things, which the mighty Christ will do, when He comes to the battle of Armageddon, in Psalms 2:10-12, it says,
“Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” An Interesting Question In considering the things which are recorded in our lesson text, Seiss, in his book on “The Apocalypse” says,
“I only add, that our contemplations will fail of their end, if they do not serve to teach us, and to write it indelibly upon our hearts, that rebellion against God is death;-that no weapon formed against Jehovah can prosper;- that those who will not have Christ to rule over them must perish! Though the wicked should wield the power of archangels, they cannot withstand the power of archangels, they cannot withstand the punitive majesty of the Warrior Judge and King who rides upon the white horse. His sword is mightier than Satan, mightier than the Beast deemed invincible, mightier than the command of eternal miracle over nature’s laws, mightier than all the forces of earth and hell combined. And that sword is pledged to drink the life-blood of all who neglect his mercy, despise his laws, stand out against his authority. All may seem well and promising now. People may indulge their unbelief and passions during these days of forbearance and grace, and see no disadvantage growing out of it. They may get angry at our earnestness, and account us croakers and fools when we put before them the demands and threatenings of the Almighty. But “woe to him that striveth with his Maker!” There is a deluge of bottled fury yet to be poured out on them that refuse to know God, and on the families that call not on his name, from which there is no escape, and from whose burning and tempestuous surges there is no deliverance. God help us to be wise, that we come not into that sea of death!”
No Way of Escape
Indeed, my friends, after considering these things, which are recorded in the Word of God and comparing them with the current events of these days in which we live, we leave it to your own judgment as to whether or not the world is heading toward the battle of Armageddon.
Frankly, I see no escape from these things.
How long it will be before these terrible things recorded in the Book of Revelation come upon an unsuspecting world, we are unable to say, but we know that what God has recorded in His Word for our instruction, will surely come to pass!
~ end of lecture 56 ~