The Bride of Christ and the King of Kings
“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.”
– Isaiah 63: 1-4
Revelation 19 – Continuation of Day of Atonement
Theme: Removal of sin from the earth
Revelation 19 introduces the bride of Christ and his coming battle with the Kingdom of Darkness. A chorus once again confirms the righteousness of God’s judgment of the harlot as the King of kings prepares to go to war with his mounted heavenly army. The bride of Christ is in heaven preparing for her marriage supper to the Lamb, while birds of prey prepare to gorge on a different kind of feast. Meanwhile, the kings of the earth gather against Jerusalem to destroy Israel in an attempt to prevent Jesus’ return.
This chapter completes the second part of the dual sin offering on the Day of Atonement. The first part of the Atonement offering, the purifying judgment on the Lord’s goat, was fulfilled in God’s purifying vengeance on the kingdom of the beast (Rev. 15&16) and on the harlot (Rev. 17&18). Revelation 19 fulfills the second offering of Atonement, the scapegoat, with its theme of removal of sin from the camp. Instead of the sin of God’s people being symbolically removed so God could dwell with them, those encamped against Jerusalem are removed from the earth so the bride of Christ can dwell there with her Lord. Additionally, the wicked spiritual powers that have ruled over the earth since Adam’s fall are defeated and also removed from the earth. On a historical note, because Atonement was a solemn feast of judgment, any marriage planned for that time would only take place after it was completed, during the rejoicing of the feast of Tabernacles. The wedding supper of the Lamb will occur after the coming judgments of God are completed. Still, the bride of Christ continues to prepare herself for the wedding ceremony, confident of victory in the coming battle.
_______
Revelation 19
After this I seemed to hear the far-echoing voices of a great multitude in Heaven, who said, “Hallelujah! The salvation and the glory and the power belong to our God. True and just are His judgments, because He has judged the great Harlot who was corrupting the whole earth with her fornication, and He has taken vengeance for the blood of His bondservants which her hands have shed.” And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! For her smoke ascends until the Ages of the Ages.”
And the twenty-four Elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits upon the throne. “Even so,” they said; “Hallelujah!” And from the throne there came a voice which said, “Praise our God, all you His bondservants—you who fear Him, both the small and the great.” And I seemed to hear the voices of a great multitude and the sound of many waters and of loud peals of thunder, which said, “Hallelujah! Because the Lord our God, the Ruler of all, has become King. Let us rejoice and triumph and give Him the glory; for the time for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.” And she was permitted to array herself in fine linen, shining and spotless; the fine linen being the righteous actions of God’s people.
And he said to me, “Write as follows: ‘Blessed are those who receive an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.’” And he added, still addressing me, “These are truly the words of God.”
Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he exclaimed, “Oh, do not do that. I am a fellow bondservant of yours and a fellow bondservant of your brethren who have borne testimony to Jesus. Worship God.” Testimony to Jesus is the spirit which underlies Prophecy. Then I saw a door open in Heaven, and a white horse appeared. Its rider was named “Faithful and True”—being One who in righteousness acts as Judge, and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many kingly crowns; and He has a name written upon Him which no one but He Himself knows. The outer garment in which He is clad has been dipped in blood and His name is THE WORD OF GOD. The armies in Heaven followed Him—mounted on white horses and clothed in fine linen, white and spotless. From His mouth there comes a sharp sword with which He will smite the nations; and He will Himself be their Shepherd, ruling them with a scepter of iron; and it is His work to tread the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Ruler of all. And on His outer garment and on His thigh He has a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw a single angel standing in the full light of the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds that flew across the sky, “Come and be present at God’s great supper, that you may feast on the flesh of kings and the flesh of generals and the flesh of mighty men, on the flesh of horses and their riders, and on the flesh of all mankind, whether they are free men or slaves, great men or small.”
And I saw the Wild Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, all assembled to make war, once for all, against the Rider upon the horse and against His army. And the Wild Beast was captured, and with him the false Prophet who had done the miracles in his presence with which he had led astray those who had received the mark of the Wild Beast, and those who worshipped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the Lake of fire that was all ablaze with sulphur. But the rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the Rider on the horse. And the birds all fed ravenously upon their flesh.
•••••••
Revelation 19 Commentary
v. 1-5 After this I seemed to hear the far-echoing voices of a great multitude in Heaven, who said, “Hallelujah! The salvation and the glory and the power belong to our God. True and just are His judgments, because He has judged the great Harlot who was corrupting the whole earth with her fornication, and He has taken vengeance for the blood of His bondservants which her hands have shed.” And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! For her smoke ascends until the Ages of the Ages.” And the twenty-four Elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits upon the throne. “Even so,” they said; “Hallelujah!” And from the throne there came a voice which said, “Praise our God, all you His bondservants—you who fear Him, both the small and the great.”
Having commented previously on significant events in Revelation, the chorus makes its final contribution. Here, the multitude, most likely the same as the multitude of Revelation 7, and therefore the saints, testifies to the justice of God’s judgments on Spiritual Babylon. This vengeance has special meaning for the bride of Christ as well as for God, since many were recipients of the harlot’s persecution throughout the age.
v. 6-8 And I seemed to hear the voices of a great multitude and the sound of many waters and of loud peals of thunder, which said, “Hallelujah! Because the Lord our God, the Ruler of all, has become King. Let us rejoice and triumph and give Him the glory; for the time for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.” And she was permitted to array herself in fine linen, shining and spotless; the fine linen being the righteous actions of God’s people.
In their final choral contribution, the voices of the multitude take on the quality of God’s own voice, sounding like thunder and the roaring of waterfalls, a sound far above that of any song in its majesty. This may be a result of the saints having been formed in Christ’s character and image, and thus their close identification with the Father. Due to the initial judgment on spiritual Babylon in Revelation 14 and the final stroke when Christ returns, it is difficult to determine the timing of this event – whether it occurs at the beginning or end of the beast’s rule. Perhaps from a heavenly perspective with its different outlook on time, this doesn’t matter. As the bride of Christ, the multitude rejoices in the fact that they will soon be with him in the Kingdom of God on earth. The time is so close that the bride is allowed to put on her wedding garment.
v. 9-10 And he said to me, “Write as follows: “Blessed are those who receive an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” And he added, still addressing me, “These are truly the words of God.” Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he exclaimed, “Oh, do not do that. I am a fellow bondservant of yours and a fellow bondservant of your brethren who have borne testimony to Jesus. Worship God.” When appearing on earth, angels are God’s messengers, representing the Lord to men. When acting in this capacity they receive any adulation directed toward them as to the Lord. In heaven, however, angels do not function as messengers of God, but as fellow servants with man of God and the Lamb. Since John is in heaven as a fellow servant of the Lamb, he is the angel’s ‘equal’ in this regard, so his worship is improper.
v. 11 Then I saw a door open in Heaven, and a white horse appeared. Its rider was named “Faithful and True”—being One who in righteousness acts as Judge, and makes war. Jesus had entered Jerusalem before his last Passover feast riding on a donkey, the usual mode of transportation for a prophet. Now, as a fulfillment of the type of Adam, the Conqueror of Earth (Rev. 6:2, Rom. 5:14), Jesus returns mounted on a white horse, as was the custom of victorious kings. How much more so for the King of kings! (It has only been during the last 100 years that this custom has been abandoned in favor of mechanized transport.) Whereas Adam filled the earth with his fallen progeny, Christ will fill it with his righteous servants. Unlike men who wage war on their own initiative, Jesus is returning to earth to enforce the judgment awarded him by the heavenly court. Jesus’ title “Faithful and True” testifies that the coming battle will be what nations often claim, but fall short of achieving – a truly ‘just war’ of good versus evil.
v. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many kingly crowns; and He has a name written upon Him which no one but He Himself knows. John’s wording implies that he can see Jesus’ name but is unable to decipher its meaning. Jesus’ unknown name resonates with the secrecy of the name promised to believers who overcome in Revelation 2: 17. Because to know someone’s name was to have power over him, the implication here is one of sovereignty; Jesus is King of kings, so no one knows this name. Overcomers will share in his millennial reign, so they too are accorded the privilege of having their own secret name. Jesus is worthy to rule, no longer as the Prince of Peace, but as King of kings over all the the Earth, with the right of correcting the wrongs committed in his kingdom.
The word for crown here may also be translated as diadem. In the Old Covenant, a diadem was a small, elongated oval plate of gold fastened by a cord to the high priest’s turban which was inscribed with the phrase: “Holy to the LORD.” (Ex. 28:36) Due to the physical impossibility of wearing several crowns at the same time, Jesus is probably wearing a priestly turban around which numerous diadems are tied or draped. It is possible that these diadems are engraved with the many names of Jesus identified in the book of Isaiah.
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.” Isa. 9:6-7
v. 13 The outer garment in which He is clad has been dipped in blood and His name is THE WORD OF GOD. This name is a reminder of Jesus’ divine nature as The Word, first encountered in the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word…” The image of a robe dipped or sprinkled in blood has been encountered previously in Scripture. It is mentioned in Jacob’s blessing on his son Judah, from whose line the Messiah would come. Isaiah describes the coming divine avenger in a similar manner. The fact that the robe is red before Jesus’ return indicates that the coming battle will not be the first blood shed in the battle between good and evil. Jesus’ own blood has been joined with that of his faithful followers, and there is more to be shed in the cause of righteousness.
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes.
For the day of vengeance is in My heart,
And the year of My redeemed has come. Isa 63:3-4
v. 14 The armies in Heaven followed Him—mounted on white horses and clothed in fine linen, white and spotless. There is some controversy over whether the armies of heaven represent saints, angels, or both. One might see support for the former in Scriptures such as Revelation 17: 14: “They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and Kind of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen, and faithful followers.” On the other hand, some verses support an army comprised of angels: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” A case can be made for either argument. The point is that Jesus will have to wage war to implement the Kingdom of God, because the Dragon will not willingly give up his control over the earth.
v. 15-16 From His mouth there comes a sharp sword with which He will smite the nations; and He will Himself be their Shepherd, ruling them with a scepter of iron; and it is His work to tread the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Ruler of all. And on His outer garment and on His thigh He has a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. The image of the sharp sword coming out of Jesus’ mouth is symbolic of the word of God. (Eph 6:17, Heb. 4:12) The same word by which the Spirit breathed life into all living things will take away the life of the rebellious, starting with the armies surrounding Jerusalem. The armies of the ten kings will be no match for legions of angels and resurrected saints; the real battle will be fought against the Dragon and his demonic hordes for possession of the earth.
As King of kings, Jesus carries the symbol of earthly rule known as a scepter, also translated as a rod or staff. A scepter, or mace as it is called in England, is an ornamental topped metal shaft approximately one meter long and ten centimeters thick, symbolizing royal rule. It is traditionally made of precious metals and set with gemstones, often with a small crown or orb on top, symbolizing earthly rule. While an ornate scepter would be appropriate for the divine sovereignty of Christ, a plain rod or staff would be more consistent with his humility. Since the word used for ‘ruling’ in this passage is poimainō, meaning ‘to shepherd,’ it is possible that the iron rod is a shepherd’s staff. The symbolic meaning of ruling the nations with a rod of iron implies that earth’s new King will tolerate no injustice, and disobedience will not have a chance to take root and grow into rebellion.
“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 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. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” Ps. 2:6-11
v. 17-18 And I saw a single angel standing in the full light of the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds that flew across the sky, “Come and be present at God’s great supper, that you may feast on the flesh of kings and the flesh of generals and the flesh of mighty men, on the flesh of horses and their riders, and on the flesh of all mankind, whether they are free men or slaves, great men or small.” There will be two great suppers on earth after Jesus’ return. One is the wedding banquet for the bride of Christ and invited guests of the King of kings. The other will be for the vultures that will be needed to help clean up the carnage along a 200-mile front around Jerusalem. This grisly avian feast will help curtail the spread of disease until the great number of bodies can be buried.
“It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain renown for it on the day that I am glorified,” says the Lord GOD.” Ezek 39:11-13
v. 19-21 And I saw the Wild Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, all assembled to make war, once for all, against the Rider upon the horse and against His army. And the Wild Beast was captured, and with him the false Prophet who had done the miracles in his presence with which he had led astray those who had received the mark of the Wild Beast, and those who worshipped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the Lake of fire that was all ablaze with sulphur. But the rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the Rider on the horse. And the birds all fed ravenously upon their flesh.
Of all those who gather to fight against the King of kings, all but two are slain and their souls sent to Hades to await judgment at the end of the seventh millennium. The fact that the beast and his false prophet are not killed along with the others confirms that they are not human, but are in fact two malevolent spiritual beings that crossed over from the Abyss to take human form. Since they are spirits, they have no souls, and Hades cannot hold them. To ‘kill them’ would only deprive them of their bodies; they would still be free to roam the earth stirring up trouble. They must be either re-imprisoned in the Abyss or sent to the eternal Lake of Fire. The likely reason they are not sent back to the Abyss is that their blasphemy and vengeful persecution of the saints have earned them immediate eternal judgment.
Revelation 19
Copyright 2011
